Trump's Latest Attack On India-Russia Ties: 'They Can Take Their Dead Economies Down Together'
Trump has issued a controversial statement calling India and Russia's economies "dead" while claiming that the US and India have done "very little business".
Published : July 31, 2025 at 10:05 AM IST
|Updated : July 31, 2025 at 10:41 AM IST
New Delhi: Doubling down after slapping a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods starting August 1, US President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on India-Russia relations and said that both countries "can take their dead economies down together" and he 'does not care what India does with Russia'.
"I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.
He added that the US has done "very little business with India". "We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!" Trump said.
His fresh remark comes a day after he said the US will impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India's purchasing of Russian oil.
The announcement was a prelude to Friday when Trump's new tariff regime is scheduled to start, an event the White House has portrayed as a testament to Trump's negotiating skills even as concerns persist about the taxes hurting growth and increasing inflationary pressures.
India “is our friend,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform announcing the taxes, but its tariffs on US products “are far too high.” He added that India buys military equipment and oil from Russia, enabling Moscow's war in Ukraine.
As a result, he intends to charge an additional “penalty” starting on Friday as part of the launch of his administration’s revised tariffs on multiple countries.
Later, Trump told reporters the two countries were still in the middle of negotiations on trade despite the tariffs slated to begin in a few days. “We’re talking to India now," the president said. "We’ll see what happens.”
Reacting to Trump's announcement, India on Wednesday said it is studying the implications of the announcement. "India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective. The Government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs," read a statement by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
The Ministry further said that the government will take all steps necessary to secure India's national interest, as has been the case with other trade agreements, including the latest Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the UK.
Read More
