Moscow Slams US Demands on India as Unlawful Threats

The White House escalated tensions with India by threatening major tariff hikes over New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil, prompting backlash from Moscow and a firm rebuttal from the Indian government. Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary for the Russian President, condemned US actions during a press briefing, stating: “We hear many statements that are essentially threats — attempts to force countries to halt trade with Russia. We do not consider such statements legitimate.” The controversy was sparked by US President Donald Trump, who accused India of not only purchasing large volumes of Russian oil but also profiting by reselling it. While Trump did not specify the new tariff rates, he warned that levies on Indian exports to the US would increase substantially.