'Unjustified and unreasonable': India calls out US, EU over oil trade with Russia; pans double standards

NEW DELHI: India on Monday pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s threat to “substantially” raise tariffs on Indian goods over its continued oil imports from Russia, calling the targeting of India “unjustified and unreasonable.”

In a sharply worded statement, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) defended India’s energy strategy, saying that its crude oil purchases from Russia are “a necessity compelled by global market conditions” and not a political endorsement of Moscow.

“India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the MEA said in a statement, while pointing out that the US and European Union have themselves continued trade with Russia, including in energy and critical commodities, despite publicly opposing the Ukraine conflict.
The response came hours after Trump accused India of “buying massive amounts of Russian oil and selling it on the open market for big profits,” and vowed to penalize New Delhi by raising tariffs. The US President had earlier signed an Executive Order on August 1 titled Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates, slapping a 25% duty on Indian goods.

While the executive order did not formally mention a “penalty” for Russian oil and military imports, Trump’s rhetoric has escalated over the past week. He previously said India and Russia could “take their dead economies down together,” prompting India to assert that it remains the world’s fastest-growing major economy.

The MEA also pointed out what it called “double standards,” noting that the EU’s trade with Russia in 2024 was significantly higher than India’s. EU imports of Russian LNG, for instance, hit a record 16.5 million tonnes. The US too, the statement said, continues to import uranium, palladium, and fertilizers from Russia.

India’s Russian oil imports rose from just 0.2% of total imports pre-war to over 35% in recent months, making Russia India’s top supplier. The MEA clarified that the shift occurred after traditional suppliers in the Middle East redirected exports to Europe post the Ukraine war.

Despite tensions, India said it remains committed to ongoing trade negotiations. The next round of talks with the US is scheduled for August 25–29 in New Delhi. So far, five rounds have been held, but disagreements remain, especially over US demands for market access in agriculture, dairy, and genetically modified food, areas India says affect millions of livelihoods.

The US is India’s top trading partner, with bilateral trade hitting $186 billion in 2024–25. India enjoys a goods and services trade surplus of around $44.4 billion with the US.