Washington, 20 August (H.S.):
In a stunning escalation of economic measures, US President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed secondary tariffs—effectively “sanctions”—on India as a direct move to end the war in Ukraine. The announcement came shortly after Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, pledging to broker a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate peace.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the Trump administration had “put tremendous public pressure” on key actors, including India, to bring the conflict to a close, specifically citing the new sanctions as part of a broader strategy. “He has taken actions as you’ve seen—sanctions on India and other actions as well,” Leavitt said, underlining Trump’s urgency for ending the war.
The move comes amid criticism from top US officials over India’s lucrative trade in Russian oil. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spotlighted India's transition from importing less than 1% of its oil from Russia to a staggering 42% during the conflict, accusing New Delhi of profiteering and reselling Russian oil for enormous gain. Bessent estimated India’s “excess profits” at $16billion and branded the activity as “arbitrage” that sprang up solely because of the war.
Meanwhile, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro chastised India’s energy and defense deals with Russia, labeling the oil trade “opportunistic” and “corrosive” to the global push to isolate Moscow. Navarro argued that India’s financial support allows Russia to continue its war effort while American and European taxpayers foot the bill for Ukraine’s defense.
Addressing reporters before his meeting with Putin, Trump asserted that the penalties against India—including doubling tariffs to 50%—were designed to force India out of the Russian oil market, a move he claims significantly altered Putin’s calculus.
With geopolitical stakes at an all-time high, Trump’s hardball tactics signal a bold US bid to force diplomatic momentum—and put pressure on India, one of Russia’s largest oil customers, to help isolate the Kremlin and accelerate an end to the war.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
