Overview

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said India can play a very important role in resolving ongoing conflicts, speaking on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York on September 23.
• U.S. President Donald Trump has accused India and China of financing the Ukraine war by buying Russian oil, with Washington imposing an additional 25% tariff on India that reporting says brings total U.S. levies to 50%.
• New Delhi has defended its Russian oil purchases as essential for energy security and has described the U.S. tariff measures as unfair.
• Earlier this month, Meloni and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed regional and global issues by phone and voiced support for an early and peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine.
• The two leaders reaffirmed plans to deepen their Strategic Partnership and Italy reiterated support for concluding an India–EU free trade agreement, India’s AI Impact Summit 2026, and connectivity under the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor.