Trump Non-Committal on Tariffs, Links India’s Fate to Ukraine Peace
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 7, 2025: President Trump is keeping everyone guessing about whether he’ll scrap the new 50% tariff on Indian goods even if there’s a ceasefire in Ukraine. These tariffs, which add up to 50% total, are because India’s still buying cheap Russian oil. Trump’s wishy-washy answer at the White House has India worried.
President’s Answer? Not Exactly Clear
When a reporter asked if peace talks with Russia would mean the end of the tariffs on India, Trump didn’t give a straight answer. We’ll see about that later, but for now, they’re paying 50%, he said.
This unclear response suggests that the tariffs might not be temporary. It looks like they could be a way for the Trump administration to put pressure on India for the long haul.
Tariffs as a Way to Pressure
The extra 25% tariff on top of the existing 25% one is because India wants to do its own thing when it comes to foreign policy. The White House even said that India buying Russian oil is not helping the U.S. try to stop Russia’s bad behavior.
Trump’s been publicly bashing India, accusing them of making a profit by buying cheap Russian oil and selling refined products.
Geopolitics at Play
These tariffs come at a tricky time. Steve Witkoff is in Moscow trying to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine. Trump’s saying the talks are going great.
But hitting India with tariffs makes things complicated. People think it’s a way to pressure both India and Russia by going after one of Russia’s biggest oil customers.
India’s Mad, and It’s Hurting Their Economy
The Indian government is not happy. They called the tariffs unfair and said they’ll do whatever it takes to protect their interests.
This is going to hurt India’s economy. With such a high tariff, Indian exporters will have a tough time competing. Experts are saying India’s exports to the U.S. could drop by 30% this year, affecting things like textiles and engineering.
Bad News for the U.S.-India Relationship
Experts are calling this the worst situation in the U.S.-India relationship in 20 years. It could push away a key ally when the U.S. is trying to build a team to take on China in Asia.
Trump’s vague answer about a ceasefire makes things worse. India’s now stuck: stick to their foreign policy and get hit with tariffs, or change their stance on Russian oil and look like they’re giving in to U.S. pressure. Where the relationship between these two countries goes from here is uncertain.
