‘I never said a percentage’: Trump on increasing tariffs on countries buying Russian energy; Nikki Haley warns against hurting India, sparing China

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reignited trade tensions saying he “never said a percentage” when asked about imposing steep tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy, including India.Speaking at a White House press conference, originally scheduled to focus on the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Trump was asked whether he planned to impose a 100% tariff on nations like India and China for continuing to buy Russian oil.“I never said a percentage, but we’ll be doing quite a bit of that. We’ll see what happens over the next fairly short period of time. But we will see what happens,” Trump responded.“We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We’re going to see what happens,” he added.The statement came after Trump on Monday lashed out at India for allegedly profiting from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.“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. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!” Trump posted Truth Social.On Tuesday, Trump said he plans to raise tariffs on Indian imports “very substantially” within the next 24 hours, citing India’s continued purchase of Russian oil as the key reason, Reuters reported.“They’re fueling the war machine, and if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” Trump told CNBC in an interview.Haley warns against hurting India, sparing ChinaEarlier, former US Ambassador to the United Nations and Trump’s former primary challenger Nikki Haley criticised Trump’s stance, warning against damaging ties with a key democratic ally.In a post on X, Haley said, “India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India.”Haley accused the Trump administration of being lenient toward China, while taking a harder line on India, despite Beijing being the top importer of Russian oil.India defends its oil purchasesIndia on Monday responded sharply to Trump’s threats. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) issued a statement late Monday rejecting the criticism as “unjustified and unreasonable.”“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 MEA said.The statement pointed out that Western nations, including the US, continue to trade with Russia, despite the war in Ukraine.“It is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,” the ministry added.India has emerged as the largest seaborne buyer of Russian crude, importing approximately 1.75 million barrels per day in the first half of 2025, a slight increase from the previous year.Uniform tariff and PM Modi’s call to buy localTrump first issued the warning on his social media platform Truth Social, just days after announcing a 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods and an unspecified penalty over India’s oil trade with Russia.In the midst of the tariff row, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated the importance of domestic production.“The world economy is going through many apprehensions, there is an atmosphere of instability,” PM Modi said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.“Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian,” he added. ‘India will give us zero tariffs’Trump also took aim at India’s current tariff system, calling it excessively high. While India recently offered to allow zero tariffs on American imports, Trump dismissed the move, arguing it does not address concerns over India’s energy ties with Moscow.“India went from the highest tariffs ever. They will give us zero tariffs, and they’re going to let us go in. But that’s not good enough, because of what they’re doing with oil, not good,” he noted.The new 25% duty on all Indian goods will come into effect from August 7. In comparison, other countries like Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Turkey will face lower tariff rates between 15–20%.