US President Donald Trump vowed to “significantly raise tariffs” against India on Monday over its continued purchase of Russian oil. The assertion prompted a sharp rebuttal from the Ministry of External Affairs — with an official statement noting that the US had actively encouraged” such imports by India in the past. A video of former US envoy Eric Garcetti lauding new Delhi for buying Russian oil in 2024 has also gone viral on social media platforms.
‘They bought Russian oil because we wanted…’
“They bought Russian oil because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil at a price cap. That was not a violation or anything. It was actually the design of the policy because, as a commodity, we didn’t want the oil prices going up, and they fulfilled that,” Garcetti said as the US Ambassador to India last year.
The remarks — made during the 2024 Conference on Diversity in International Affairs — had sparked controversy at the time. The US Department of the Treasury had also issued a clarification in early 2024, reiterating that America had not asked India to stop importing crude oil from Russia.
‘Unjustified, unreasonable’: MEA says US targeting India
The Ministry of External Affairs issued a strong response on Monday after US President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs against India. The POTUS had vowed a “significant” hike — days after imposing 25% duties against Indian imports over continued purchase of Russian oil. The MEA however cited ongoing trade ties between the US and Russia to deem the statement “unjustified and unreasonable”.
“India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability,” the MEA reminded.
(With inputs from agencies)