Aug 12, 2025 | New Delhi (Desk) : US President Donald Trump has said that America’s new tariffs on India over its imports of Russian oil have dealt a “big blow” to Russia’s struggling economy. Speaking from the White House, Trump claimed Moscow’s financial health is already under strain due to global pressures, and the tariffs have made things worse.

The Tariff Move
The United States has imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods, along with an extra 25% levy on India’s purchases of Russian oil. This brings the total duties to 50% for such imports. Trump said this decision was aimed at hitting Russia’s oil revenues hard.

“Doesn’t help when the President of the United States tells their largest or second-largest oil buyer that we’re putting a 50% tariff on you if you buy oil from Russia. That was a big blow,” Trump said, in a clear reference to India.

Criticism of Russia’s Economy
According to Trump, Russia has “tremendous potential” as a country but is “not doing well” economically. He argued that Moscow needs to focus on developing its domestic economy instead of being involved in wars.

“I think Russia has to get back into building their country. They have tremendous potential in Russia to do well. They’re not doing well. Their economy is not doing well right now because it’s been very well disturbed by this,” he said.

Tariffs as a Political Tool
Trump claimed his tariffs not only generate revenue for the United States but also give it leverage in international conflicts. He credited tariffs for helping “solve” five wars, including tensions between India and Pakistan.

“The tariffs have helped — they give us not only the money, but also great power over enemies. We solved five wars — Pakistan and India. Azerbaijan and Armenia — it was raging for 37 years… Russia tried to solve it. They all tried to solve it. It was a very tough situation, but we got it done,” he said.

Future of US-Russia Relations
When asked about the possibility of normal trade relations between the US and Russia, Trump said it could happen if Moscow moves away from war and focuses on business.

“Russia has a very valuable piece of land. If Vladimir Putin would go toward business instead of toward war… it’s a warring nation. That’s what they do. They fight a lot of wars… They beat Hitler. So did we,” Trump commented.

Possible Meeting With Putin
On the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Trump revealed plans for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“We’re going to have a meeting with Vladimir Putin. And at the end of that meeting, probably in the first two minutes, I’ll know exactly whether or not a deal can be made,” he said.

With tariffs now in place and diplomatic moves on the horizon, Trump suggested that the US will continue using economic pressure as a key strategy in shaping global politics.