NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump on Thursday took a sharp jab at India and Russia, suggesting that the two nations could “take their dead economies down together.”In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India — their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.”He added, “Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!”This comes after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that Trump is playing “the ultimatum game” with Russia, and that such an approach could lead to a war involving the United States. “Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with (Trump’s) own country,” he said.Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on all goods imported from India, along with an unspecified penalty, from August 1 after the two countries failed to reach an interim trade deal, triggering nervousness among exporters.‘Little business, far too high tariffs’After making several claims over the last four months of having got India to agree to slash tariffs, Trump took to social media to announce the stiff duties and linked the action to India’s high trade surplus with the US and purchase of Russian oil and arms“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.“Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!” he said.Meanwhile, India has made it clear that it will put national interest first in finalising any trade agreement. “The Government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs. The government will take all steps necessary to secure our national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements including the latest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the UK,” a statement from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry reads.“The government has said that it is assessing the impact of the 25% tariffs and also added that trade deal negotiations have been ongoing with US. “Over recent months, both India and the United States have participated in discussions aimed at establishing an equitable and reciprocally advantageous trade agreement. The commitment towards achieving this goal remains steadfast,” it said.India-Russia tiesRussia supplies 35% of India’s total crude oil imports. Bilateral trade reached $65.7 billion in 2023–24 as the two countries expanded economic engagement. Indian investments in Russian oil fields such as Sakhalin and Tomsk have contributed to maintaining a stable supply of energy.Russia also provides 45% of India’s defence imports. Additionally, the two countries have agreed to jointly produce high-speed electric trains for Indian Railways.
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