Russia on Wednesday brushed aside a White House claim that secondary US tariffs on Indian goods had forced President Vladimir Putin to consider peace talks on Ukraine, calling the suggestion “speculative”
and “rumours.”
Roman Babushkin, Charge d’Affaires at the Russian Embassy in New Delhi, said Washington’s narrative was misleading and dismissed the link between US trade pressure on India and Russia’s approach to Ukraine peace talks.
“If Indian goods are facing difficulties entering the US market, the Russian market is welcoming Indian exports,” Babushkin told reporters in Delhi.
His remarks came a day after the White House claimed President Donald Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian goods — taking them to 50 per cent from August 27 — was part of an effort to apply “secondary pressure” on Moscow.
US press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move was meant to “bring this war to a close,” while citing sanctions on India and other measures.
The announcement followed Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where both leaders indicated progress toward potential trilateral talks with Putin.
Babushkin Slams US Pressure
Taking aim at Washington’s demand that India cut down Russian oil imports, Babushkin said such unilateral actions were “unjustified” and destabilised global energy markets.
“Russia is the largest producer of oil and India is the largest consumer. Any kind of unilateral action leads to disruptions in supply chains, imbalance in pricing policies and destabilisation of global markets, endangering the energy security of developing countries,” he said.
He cautioned that refusing Russian oil would not result in “equal cooperation with the West,” accusing Western powers of behaving like “neocolonial” actors focused solely on their own interests.
Responding to a US trade adviser’s statement that India should halt Russian oil purchases to avoid secondary tariffs, Babushkin said Moscow did not expect New Delhi to succumb.
“If the West criticises you, it means you are doing everything right. We don’t expect that to happen. This is the true strategic partnership we are enjoying. Whatever happens, even during challenges, we are committed to removing any problems,” he said, stressing that the India-Russia partnership had only deepened despite external pressure.
Highlighting growing economic ties, he noted: “We have seen this problem of sanctions for many years now, but our trade is growing. In recent years, our trade has grown by seven times.”
He also pointed to President Putin’s recent call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as proof of the importance Russia places on India in navigating the Ukraine conflict.
Meanwhile in Moscow, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC), described by Babushkin as the “main mechanism of Russian-Indian cooperation” spanning energy, trade, defence and finance.
