US President Donald Trump has reportedly warned that Washington could further increase tariffs on Indian imports if New Delhi does not cooperate on what he described as the Russian oil issue. Speaking on Monday, Trump also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a good person who was aware of the US President’s dissatisfaction.
During remarks to reporters, Trump said India was trying to keep him satisfied and added that Modi understood his displeasure. He went on to say that tariffs on India could be raised very quickly if needed.
The comments were aimed at India’s continued oil trade with Russia, a long standing point of contention for the Trump administration. This issue had earlier been cited as the reason behind the decision to double tariffs on Indian imports to 50 percent in August 2025. Trump reiterated that tariffs could be increased again if India failed to assist on the Russian oil matter, according to Reuters.
Trump made these remarks during a briefing that outlined the United States’ next steps following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Oil also featured prominently in discussions around the latest strikes carried out in the South American country.
The warning on tariffs comes at a time when trade talks between India and the United States are still ongoing. Trump’s latest statements also follow earlier claims he made months ago, in which he said that Prime Minister Modi had assured him India would stop buying Russian oil. Speaking in October, weeks after the higher tariffs took effect, Trump claimed that India would no longer purchase oil from Russia.
India, however, rejected that assertion, stating that no such conversation had taken place between Trump and Modi. Despite continued pressure from the Trump administration on the Russian oil issue, New Delhi has consistently maintained that its energy policies are shaped by market conditions and the needs of Indian consumers.
The renewed warning could add fresh strain to diplomatic relations between the two countries. Relations had briefly shown signs of improvement after the tariffs were imposed, when Trump said he would always remain friends with Modi and spoke of a special relationship between India and the United States. Modi had also responded positively at the time, saying he appreciated the American President’s comments.
Russia remains India’s largest supplier of crude oil. In the past, several officials from the Trump administration have alleged that Moscow uses revenue from oil sales to fund the war in Ukraine. India has also been accused by some US officials of profiting heavily by reselling Russian oil. Trump’s decision to impose steep tariffs on India was widely viewed as an attempt to increase pressure on Russia and President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
