After the announcement by US President Donald Trump to ‘substantially’ raise tariffs on goods from India over Russian oil purchases on Monday, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called it “unjustified and unreasonable” by criticising the US and Europe for continuing trade with Russia while targeting India.

In his statement on Truth Social, Trump shared his decision to increase the tariffs for India for buying “mass amounts of Russian Oil,” and also selling it on the Open Market for “Big Profits”.

He criticised India for fuelling the “Russian War Machine” to kill people in Ukraine. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed,” he said.

Trump announced that, “I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”

In response, the Indian government stated that, “India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine Conflict”.

The statement clarified that, “In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict”.

“The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability”.

It criticised that, “The very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia”.

“The European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia”, it said.

It also targeted the United States, “Where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers as well as chemicals”.

The MEA affirmed, “India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security”.

Last month, Donald Trump decided to impose 25% tariffs on goods imported from India.