Sovereign countries have right to choose trading partners: Russia backs India amid Trump’s tariff threat

Moscow: Russia on Tuesday backed India and while criticising US President Donald Trump over his threats to increase tariffs on New Delhi for buying oil from Moscow, saying that “sovereign nations must have the right to choose their trading partners.”

Speaking at a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Russian President’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has noted the US threats against India and does not consider them to be legitimate. He emphasised that nations should have the right to choose the trading partners based on their own interests.

“Russia notes US threats against India, but does not consider such statements to be legitimate. Sovereign countries must have and have the right to choose their own trading partners, partners in trade and economic cooperation, and to choose those trade and economic cooperation regimes that are in the interests of a particular country,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia’s state-owned news agency TASS.

The Kremlin’s reaction came after Trump threatened to substantially raise tariffs on India for purchasing oil from Russia. “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” Trump wrote in a social media post.

“Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” he added.

After Trump threatened to impose hefty tariffs on New Delhi, the Indian government on Monday said that the targetting of the country by the US over Russian oil purchase is unjustified and unreasonable. A statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson said that like any major economy, “India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security”.

According to the government, India has been targetted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict.

“In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability,” the Centre emphasised.

“India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,” the government highlighted.

According to the Indian government, the European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at Euro 17.2 billion in 2023.

“This is significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia that year or subsequently. European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, surpassing the last record of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022. Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment,” said the official statement.

The government further stated that as far as the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals.

“In this background, the targetting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the MEA statement stressed.

IANS