Trump Clarifies Tariff Threat to India Over Russia Trade: “Never Said a Percentage”

“Never Said a Percentage”: A routine 2028 Los Angeles Olympics press briefing turned into a window into Donald Trump’s global agenda. He was asked a question and pivoted, mentioning new tariffs on countries buying Russian oil.

The off the cuff remark sent shockwaves around the world, revealing a new US economic pressure tactic that could hit allies like India, even as China gets a pass.

“I never said a percentage. But we will be doing quite a bit of that. We will see what happens over the next fairly short period of time. We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We are going to see what happens,” Trump clarified when asked about plans for a 100% tariff.

Just days ago he targeted India for buying oil and arms from Russia and being the country’s “largest buyer of energy”. He’s imposed 25% tariffs on India and threatened more.

Also Read: Trump on India’s Russia Trade Amid Tariff Threat: “Don’t Know…” | US-India Trade Tensions

On Tuesday he said there’s a meeting with Russian officials on Wednesday and then a decision on secondary sanctions will be made.

He also mentioned India’s existing tariff structure as a sticking point in bilateral trade.

Trump first posted the warning on his social media platform Truth Social. There, he said, “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”

Former US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, weighed in. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) she pointed out how the Trump administration has treated China during this time. She noted that China, an adversary and the “biggest buyer of Russian and Iranian oil” has been given a 90 day tariff pause.

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“India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India,” she posted.

New Delhi has cited US trade with Moscow — significant imports like uranium hexafluoride, fertilizers and chemicals — and said the US and EU are unfair to target India over its oil imports from Russia.

When asked about India's argument during the same press conference, Trump said, "I don't know anything about it, I'd have to check, but we'll get back to you on that."

Even as Trump’s tariff threats loom, India and Russia have reaffirmed their commitment to boost defence cooperation. The development came during a meeting between Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin, reported PTI.

“During the conversation, the two sides discussed in detail the pertinent issues of bilateral interaction in the sphere of defence and confirmed their intent toward the further strengthening of relevant cooperation in the spirit of particularly privileged strategic partnership,” a statement by the Russian Ministry of Defence read.

“The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability,” the foreign ministry said.

India is a major energy partner for Russia, buying oil worth $50.2 billion in 2024-25, according to Reuters.

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