Trump's India tariffs 'aggressive leverage' to force Russia on Ukraine war: Vance

US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that President Donald Trump had applied “aggressive economic leverage,” including secondary tariffs on India, in an attempt to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press, Vance said that the measures were part of Washington’s push to cut Moscow’s revenues from its oil trade.

“Trump has applied aggressive economic leverage, for example secondary tariffs on India, to try to make it harder for the Russians to get rich from their oil economy,” Vance said.

WASHINGTON TARGETS NEW DELHI OVER RUSSIAN CRUDE

The Trump administration has been openly critical of New Delhi’s ongoing purchase of Russian crude sold at a discount, despite Western sanctions. Washington has argued that India’s imports are indirectly funding Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.

“The question is, if the US is not imposing new sanctions, what is the pressure on Russia? How do you get them to a place of getting to the table with Zelenskyy and stopping to drop bombs?” Welker asked during the interview.

Vance responded that Trump’s tariffs were a deliberate attempt to push Moscow toward negotiations.

“He tried to make it clear that Russia can be reinvented into the world economy if they stop the killing. But they are going to continue to be isolated if they don’t stop the killing,” Vance said.

While Washington has repeatedly criticised India, China — the biggest buyer of Russian oil — has mostly avoided similar scrutiny from the Trump administration.

India has repeatedly defended its Russian oil imports, saying the decisions are driven by national interest and market factors.

After Western nations turned away from Russian oil following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, New Delhi turned to purchasing Russian oil sold at a discount.

JAISHANKAR HITS BACK AT US ON RUSSIAN OIL

On Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a jibe at the United States and Europe over the imposition of tariffs on Indian goods, firmly stating that no one was compelled to purchase refined oil or related products from India.

“It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business,” Jaishankar said.

“That’s really curious. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” he added.

Ever since Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent levy tied to India’s Russian crude purchases, trade relations between New Delhi and Washington have hit a rough patch.

During a visit to Jaipur in April, Vance had urged India to reduce non-tariff barriers, allow greater access to US products, and expand purchases of American energy and defence equipment. He framed it as part of a larger vision for deeper bilateral ties in what he called a “prosperous and peaceful” 21st century.

Despite the tariffs, Vance struck an optimistic note on the possibility of a breakthrough in the Ukraine conflict.

“I think the Russians have made significant concessions to (US) President (Donald) Trump for the first time in three and a half years of this conflict, they have actually been willing to be flexible on some of their core demands,” Vance said.

– Ends

With inputs from agencies

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