Sure India buys its oil from Moscow. But WHO ELSE is trading with Russia?

India Today

12 hours ago

Donald Trump has turned up the heat on India. Days after slapping a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports, the US president warned that India's close energy and defence ties with Moscow could put it on the wrong side of America. He said tariffs could rise again within 24 hours, and accused New Delhi of fuelling Russia's war machine by buying cheap oil.advertisement'India has not been a good trading partner... so we settled on 25 per cent, but I think I'm going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they're buying Russian oil, they're fuelling the war machine, and if they're going to do that, I'm not going to be happy,' Trump said.Here's why that charge rings hollow — and why it exposes the West's double standards.
What's new: Donald Trump says he will impose a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the US and add penalties for India's Russian oil and arms purchases. The threat comes even as the US and EU keep buying Russian commodities themselves.Why it matters: India gets 35 per cent of its crude oil from Russia, up from just one per cent before the Russia-Ukraine war. It is Moscow's largest weapons customer and a partner in joint defence production. Washington, DC and Brussels (the European Union HQ) accuse New Delhi of undermining sanctions, even as they import Russian liquefied natural gas, uranium, palladium, and fertilisers. Trump's proposed tariffs would raise economic risks and test a sevendecade partnership between India and Russia.In numbers$68.7 billion: India-Russia trade in 2024–25; $63.8 billion in imports, $4.9 billion in exports67.5 billion: The EU's goods trade with Russia in 202435%: Share of India's crude oil from Russia in 2024, up from less than 1% prewar16.5 million tonnes: Record Russian LNG imported by the EU in 2024700M: EU's 2024 imports of Russian uranium products25%: Tariff that Trump vows to impose on Indian exports to the USIn-depth1. India's energy pivot: Before February 2022, Russia supplied less than one per cent of India's crude oil. The war and subsequent sanctions diverted Russian barrels from Europe to Asia. India stepped in, buying at steep discounts to secure affordable fuel for an economy that imports 85 per cent of its oil. Avoiding Russian crude would push New Delhi back toward more expensive Middle Eastern suppliers.2. Trump's threat: In a Truth Social post after unveiling the 25 per cent tariff plan, Trump wrote: 'I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.' The proposed penalties would target both oil and arms purchases from Moscow, raising the stakes in US-India trade relations.3. Seven decades of strategic ties: India and Russia have been close partners since the Cold War. In 1971, during Bangladesh's war of independence, Moscow backed India while Washington, DC sided with Pakistan. Over the decades, the two have cooperated in space, energy, and defence.4. Defence dimension: Russia remains India's largest arms supplier, providing fighter jets, battle tanks, and missiles. Joint projects include Kalashnikov rifle production. But India has been diversifying. US defence sales to India exceed $24 billion, including attack helicopters, transport aircraft, and artillery. The Pentagon calls defence cooperation 'a major pillar' of the partnership.advertisement5. Western trade persists: While rebuking India, the US and EU continue to buy from Russia.Europe's LNG paradox: Record 16.5 million tonnes of Russian LNG in 2024Uranium dependence: Nearly a quarter of the uranium used in EU nuclear plants comes from RussiaUS reliance: Imports include uranium, palladium, fertilisers, and chemicals6. Double standards: India's Russian oil is about keeping fuel affordable for 1.4 billion people. Western imports often serve industrial or strategic needs. But they persist despite sanctions rhetoric.Big picture: The Ukraine war redrew the world's energy map. India's pivot to Russian crude was driven by necessity, not defiance. Western nations made their own pragmatic choices, keeping open trade in Russian commodities vital to their economies. Trump's tariff threat adds a new layer: The US could punish India for a policy it once tolerated, even as the West maintains its economic ties with Moscow.What they said: 'The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,' said an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson on August 4.- EndsTune InMust Watch