Trump reverses course on India to pressure Putin – Bloomberg
4 August 2025 19:26
US President Donald Trump is adjusting his strategy in relations with India in an effort to increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to force him to end the war against Ukraine. This was reported by Bloomberg, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the publication, India has recently become one of Trump’s key targets. Last week, he sharply criticized New Delhi for its membership in the BRICS and close ties with Moscow.
“This rebuke marked a striking change in tone from the US, which for years has turned a blind eye to India’s historical proximity to Russia in an effort to engage it as a counterweight to China in Asia. Now, Trump seems willing to sacrifice this approach to gain leverage over Putin,” Bloomberg notes.
India, in turn, is defending its ties with Russia. Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said:
“We have a stable and time-tested partnership with Russia. Our bilateral relations with different countries have their own value and should not be viewed through the prism of a third country.”
He also expressed confidence in the further development of Indo-US relations.
Against the backdrop of the new US policy, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on citizens to support domestic producers and buy only local goods. Meanwhile, his government has announced its intention to continue importing Russian oil.
An American delegation is expected to visit India in late August to negotiate a new trade agreement. Earlier, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s purchases of energy and military equipment from Russia. He also threatened a 100% duty for countries that do not stop buying Russian oil if the Kremlin does not make peace with Ukraine.
One of Trump’s top advisers, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, accused India of “financing Russia’s war against Ukraine” through oil trade with Russia.
