JD Vance Claims Trump Imposed India Tariffs to Push Russia on Ukraine War

JD Vance: Trump’s Tariffs on India Aimed at Pressuring Russia Over Ukraine.

US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday defended Donald Trump’s decision to impose steep tariffs on India, calling them a deliberate move to cut into Russia’s oil revenues and push Moscow toward ending its war in Ukraine. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Vance said the secondary tariffs were part of Washington’s broader strategy of “aggressive economic leverage.”

“Trump has applied secondary tariffs on India to make it harder for the Russians to get rich from their oil economy,” Vance said. The administration has long opposed India’s purchase of discounted Russian oil but has largely avoided criticising China, Moscow’s biggest energy customer. India has maintained that its energy imports are guided by national interest.

Pressed on what pressure the US was applying without new sanctions, Vance said Trump’s tariffs were intended to drive Russia to negotiate. “Russia can rejoin the world economy if it stops the killing. If not, it will remain isolated,” he said.

According to NBC, Vance also expressed confidence in US efforts to broker peace, claiming “significant concessions from both sides” had already emerged after Trump’s recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump recently raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent duty on imports of Russian crude refined in India. The move has strained ties between Washington and New Delhi.

Responding on Saturday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar dismissed US criticism. “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you,” he said, noting that both the US and Europe continue to purchase refined oil from India.