U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that recently imposed tariffs on India may have influenced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to meet him in Alaska this week to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Speaking on Fox News Radio’s The Brian Kilmeade Show on Thursday, Trump said that “everything has an impact” in diplomacy. He claimed that the new trade measures — an additional 25% duty on Indian imports, taking the total levy to 50% — had effectively curtailed India’s purchases of Russian oil. “When you lose your second-largest customer and you’re probably going to lose your first largest customer, that has a role,” he said.
Trump is set to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday for talks aimed at exploring a potential resolution to the Ukraine conflict. The meeting comes amid heightened trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi. The U.S. has accused India of indirectly supporting Moscow’s war effort through energy imports, a charge India has rejected as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” New Delhi maintains that oil purchases from Russia are essential for its energy security.
The White House has warned that additional “secondary tariffs” on Indian goods could follow, depending on the outcome of the Alaska discussions. “If things don’t go well, sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg TV.
Bilateral trade talks between India and the U.S. have been stalled since Trump suspended negotiations earlier this month over disputes on Russian trade and agricultural market access. U.S. negotiators are expected in New Delhi on August 25 — just two days before the higher tariff rate takes effect — in a last-minute bid to find common ground.
Ukraine Peace Effort
Trump voiced optimism about the Alaska summit, expressing belief that Putin is “ready to make a deal.” While uncertain about the possibility of an immediate ceasefire, he described the talks as a first step toward a broader negotiation that could involve Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“Depending on what happens with my meeting, I’m going to be calling up President Zelenskyy,” Trump said, adding that a potential second round of discussions could focus on territorial issues.
He emphasized that he would not dictate the terms of any settlement, saying, “I’m not going to negotiate their deal. I’m going to let them negotiate their deal.”
Trump also remarked that Putin now “respects our country,” contrasting this with what he described as a lack of respect during the Biden administration. The Alaska meeting, he added, “sets up like a chess game” that could determine the path toward peace in Eastern Europe.
