President Donald Trump praised his "excellent" relationship with India, asserting that New Delhi significantly reduced its Russian oil purchases at his "request." This statement was made in response to questions about the impact of the US Supreme Court's tariffs decision on US-India relations and trade. He further stated that his trade agreement with India remains unaffected despite the US Supreme Court overturning several of the contentious tariffs he had implemented the previous year.
Significantly, India has neither affirmed nor refuted plans to cease importing Russian oil, stating only that it will maintain a variety of energy sources, with all acquisitions driven by national interest.
Trump's comments on India's acquisition of Russian oil and trade agreement
When questioned about whether the structure for a temporary trade deal with India, anticipated to be signed shortly, is still valid following the Supreme Court decision, Trump stated that 'nothing changes'.
He mentioned his 'excellent' relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, yet he also alleged that the Indian PM was 'taking advantage' of them.
Nothing has changed. India will continue to pay tariffs, while we will not. The agreement with India involves them paying tariffs, which is a shift from the previous arrangement. As you know, India, and I believe Prime Minister Modi is a remarkable gentleman, a truly great man, was much more astute than his counterparts in the United States; he was taking advantage of us. So, we negotiated a deal with India. It's now a fair agreement, where we are not paying tariffs to them, and they are paying tariffs to us. We essentially reversed the situation," Trump stated.
Trump reiterated his assertion that he had settled the India-Pakistan conflict last summer through tariff threats and also stated that New Delhi significantly reduced its purchase of Russian oil following his request.
Trump stated, "I believe my relationship with India is excellent, and we are engaged in trade with them. India has distanced itself from Russia, as they were previously sourcing oil from there. They significantly reduced this at my request because we aim to resolve the terrible conflict where 25,000 people are losing their lives each month."
The conflict between India and Pakistan concluded on May 10, 2025, with a 'ceasefire understanding.' Nonetheless, prior to an official announcement of the cessation of hostilities, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to assert that he had 'stopped the war.'
India has consistently denied any involvement of the US in the ceasefire agreement, asserting that it was Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations who reached out to New Delhi to request a ceasefire.
The US Supreme Court overturns Trump-imposed tariffs
In a historic decision, the US Supreme Court invalidated numerous of Trump's extensive tariffs, marking a significant blow to his key economic initiative.
Trump, who had nominated two of the judges that decided unfavorably for him, responded with anger and alleged, without evidence, that foreign entities had swayed the court.
In court, the Trump administration stated that companies would receive refunds if the tariffs were deemed unlawful. However, the ruling did not address this issue.
In the meantime, Trump decided to introduce a temporary 10% global import duty for 150 days to replace the cancelled tariffs. Additionally, he initiated new investigations under different laws that could potentially allow him to reinstate the tariffs.