In a high-stakes press conference held at the White House, former U.S. President Donald Trump stirred global attention with cryptic remarks on imposing tough trade measures.
While the event was initially called to discuss the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, questions swiftly shifted toward Trump’s stance on countries purchasing energy from Russia – particularly India.
When asked about the possibility of imposing a 100% tariff on nations buying Russian oil, Trump neither confirmed nor denied the proposal. “I never mentioned any percentage,” he said, adding, “But we’re going to take strong action. Let’s see what happens.
We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow.”Trump’s ambiguous statement raised concerns about whether the U.S. could be jeopardizing its relations with strategic allies like India. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley also took a public stand, accusing Trump of giving China tariff relief while threatening strong measures against India.
“Don’t alienate allies like India while China, America’s rival, gets a 90-day tariff waiver,” she posted on social media. A report indicated that Trump might hike tariffs on Indian goods by over 25% within the next 24 hours due to India’s ongoing oil imports from Russia. In an interview, Trump expressed displeasure, stating,
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“They’re fueling the war machine.”In response to claims that the U.S. itself imports uranium-based chemicals from Russia, Trump said, “I don’t know about that.
We’ll have to look into it.”Trump also blamed President Biden for prolonging the Russia-Ukraine war and claimed he personally prevented five wars in the past five months including one involving India and Pakistan.
As Trump navigates a possible return to power, his recent remarks suggest a hardening trade policy that may test long-standing international partnerships.