Trump softens stance on India, China tariffs? What he said after meeting Putin

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump mentioned that he might need to consider imposing retaliatory tariffs on countries that are purchasing Russian oil in the next two to three weeks, but he emphasized that it’s not an immediate concern. His comments came right after wrapping up a crucial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where he briefly spoke to the media alongside Putin. "Well, given what happened today, I don’t think I need to worry about that (tariffs) right now," Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity in an interview following the meeting. “I might have to think about it in a couple of weeks or so, but for now, it’s not something we need to focus on. I believe the meeting went very well,” he added. Trump's comments were in response to a question regarding the oil trade between India and Russia, as well as potential tariffs on China. However, he didn’t clarify whether he was referring to retaliatory tariffs or additional tariffs specifically aimed at countries buying Russian oil. Last month, Trump had announced plans to impose secondary sanctions on nations trading with Moscow, threatening 100 percent tariffs on Russia and giving them 50 days to reach an agreement to resolve the Ukraine conflict. “We’re extremely unhappy with them. If we don’t reach a deal in 50 days, we’ll be implementing very severe tariffs. We’re talking about tariffs around 100 percent, which you could call secondary tariffs,” Trump stated. In a prior interview with Fox News before his meeting with Putin, Trump remarked that Moscow had “lost an oil client - India,” and warned that if he went ahead with secondary sanctions, it would be “devastating” for Russia. “If I have to do it, I will, but maybe I won’t need to,” Trump said. Just weeks after this announcement, he imposed 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on India, which he later doubled, citing New Delhi's oil purchases from Russia. Half of the tariffs on India have already taken effect, with the rest scheduled to be implemented on August 27. Trump's recent comments about retaliatory tariffs come on the heels of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's warning that the country might ramp up secondary tariffs on India if the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska doesn't go smoothly. In a chat with Bloomberg TV, Bessent mentioned, “We've imposed secondary tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil. If things don't go well, we could see sanctions or those secondary tariffs increase.” Earlier, Bessent had pointed out that India was being “a bit recalcitrant” in the ongoing trade talks with the US. India has made it clear that its relationship with the US is extensive, with trade being just one aspect of it. The Ministry of External Affairs previously emphasized that the ties between nations shouldn't be viewed through the lens of a third country.

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