“India welcomes the Summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable,” said MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
“India appreciates the progress made in the Summit. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,” he added.
Meanwhile, following the summit, the US President stated that Russia had “lost an oil client” in India.
These remarks come after the US announced plans to impose an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports starting August 27, potentially rising to 50% on account of New Delhi indirectly funding Russia’s war against Ukraine through continue trade relations with Moscow.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had strongly rejected the move and said that India’s oil imports are driven by market factors and aimed at securing energy for 1.4 billion people. “It is regrettable that the US has chosen to impose extra tariffs on India for decisions several nations are making in their own interest. These actions are unfair and unjustified. India will protect its national interests,” the MEA said. India’s crude oil imports from Russia reached 2 million barrels per day (bpd) in early August, up from 1.6 million bpd in July, increasing Russia’s share to 38% of India’s total 5.2 million bpd imports. The rise came largely at the expense of supplies from Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Since the Ukraine conflict began in February 2022, India has sharply increased purchases from Russia, with Russian crude now accounting for roughly 35–40% of total imports.
