Trump Imposed Tariffs on India to End Russia-Ukraine War, Says White House
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New Delhi: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on August 19, that US president Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on India with a view to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The President has put tremendous public pressure to bring this war to a close. He has taken actions as you [have] seen, sanctions on India and other actions as well. He has made himself very clear that he wants to see this war end,” Leavitt said, according to PTI.
Earlier on the same day, Trump cabinet official Scott Bessent had said that "some of India’s richest families" are involved in the country’s “unacceptable” “profiteering” from buying and reselling Russian crude.
A day ago, senior White House trade adviser and economist Peter Navarro wrote in a newspaper column that the proceeds from India’s purchases of Russian oil are flowing to India’s "politically connected energy titans, and in turn, into Vladimir Putin’s war chest”.
With these three back-to-back statements, India's worries deepen on how US sees its continued purchases of oil from Moscow.
Trump's 25% ‘penalty’ tariff on India, above the 25% ‘reciprocal’ tariff brings India's total to a whopping 50%. This is likely to affect several export industries.
PTI reports that the White House also – once again – claimed that Trump has ended the military conflict between India and Pakistan.
“The President is using the might of American strength to demand that respect from our allies, our friends, and our adversaries all around the world,” Leavitt said at a press briefing, according to PTI.
She said that it was seen not only in the progress with Russia and Ukraine but also “in the closing of seven global conflicts around the world”.
“We’ve seen it with the end of the conflict between India and Pakistan, which could have resulted in a nuclear war if we had not had a President who believed in the strength and the leverage that comes with the job of being the President of the United States of America,” Leavitt said.
In an answer to another question, reported PTI, Leavitt said that Trump used trade “in a very powerful way as leverage” to bring the India-Pakistan conflict to an end.
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