Overview

• Vice President JD Vance said the secondary tariffs on India are intended to make it harder for Russia to profit from its oil economy and to push Moscow toward ending the war in Ukraine.
• The United States has raised duties on Indian goods to 50% in total, with the extra 25% tied to Russian crude purchases scheduled to kick in this week.
• India’s ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar condemned the duties as unfair and unjustified, asserting that energy buying decisions are driven by national interest and market prices.
• Kumar said oil payments to Russia face no hurdles due to a working rupee–ruble style settlement system, and he signaled plans to expand Indian exports to Russia in electronics, autos, textiles and construction materials.
• Planned U.S.–India trade talks have been delayed as both sides harden positions, with Indian officials also pointing to perceived U.S. inconsistency for not similarly targeting larger Russian energy buyers such as China and European nations.