U.S. President Trump Links Tariffs on India to Russia’s Willingness for Summit with Putin
WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 16, 2025:Right before his meeting with Russia’s Putin in Alaska, President Trump said the new tariffs on India helped get Russia to the table. He said the tariffs stopped India from buying Russian oil, which hurt Russia’s bank. Trump’s trying to use money pressure to get Russia to make peace in Ukraine. This get-together in Anchorage is the first time Trump and Putin have met since Trump got back in office, and they’re mainly trying to find a way to end the fighting.
Tariffs as a Way to Make Deals
Trump put a 25% tariff on some Indian stuff, which made a trade argument worse. Then, he put another 25% tariff on Indian stuff, especially to stop them from buying Russian oil. Now, India pays a 50% tariff rate, which is super high.
Trump told Fox News Radio, “Everything matters.” He said the tariffs on India, whom he called Russia’s second-biggest customer, are why Russia’s ready to talk now.
He said that if Russia loses its second biggest customer and might lose China, its biggest, I guess that matters. He thinks he’s putting the squeeze on Russia.
But the Indian government isn’t happy. They say the tariffs are not fair. They say they buy Russian oil because they need energy and it’s good for their economy, and they’re not breaking any rules.
India’s Side of the Story
Even though Trump says the tariffs stopped India from buying Russian oil, India says that’s not true. A.S. Sahney, who runs Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), said they haven’t stopped buying oil from Russia.
Sahney said they buy oil based on what’s cheap, and Russia is selling it at a discount. The Indian government hasn’t told them to buy more or less.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the tariffs could get even higher if they can’t end the war in Ukraine. This puts pressure on India, because it could lose money.
People think the 50% tariff could cut India’s exports to the U.S. by 60%, which could hurt India’s bank. The tariffs are a big problem between the U.S. and India, even though the U.S. wants India to help them against China.
What’s Going On?
This is the first time Trump and Putin have met in person in six years. The war in Ukraine is still going on.
They’re meeting in Anchorage to talk about how to make peace. Trump said it’s just a getting-to-know-you meeting to see if they can have a three-way meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy.
Someone from Russia, Yuri Ushakov, said they’ll mostly talk about the Ukraine war. They’ll also talk about doing more trade, but the war is more important.
Some people don’t think the meeting will work, including people from Ukraine, because they’re not invited. Zelenskyy said, If you talk about us without us, it won’t work.
Trump said he thinks he can end the war in a day. He said they might trade land to make a deal, but Ukraine doesn’t like that idea.
Using Money to Make Deals
Trump’s trying to use tariffs on India to get Russia to do what he wants. It shows he’s trying to put pressure on countries one-on-one instead of working with everyone.
It also shows that it’s hard for countries like India. They’ve been friends with Russia for a long time, especially when it comes to the army, but they’re also getting closer to the U.S. when it comes to money and the army.
What happens at the Trump-Putin meeting, and what happens with the tariffs on India, will change the energy world and how countries get along. It shows that countries are using money to get what they want in the world.
We’ll soon see if Trump’s gamble with the tariffs pays off and stops the war in Ukraine, or if it just makes everything worse. The world is watching to see if the tariffs get results.
