The US has warned that if the talks between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska are “not well”, then additional ‘secondary tariffs’ can be imposed on India. US Finance Secretary Scott Besant said that the Trump administration has already implemented a total of 50% import duty for India, 25% general and 25% additional, the base of which is Russian oil imports.
Now if Trump-Putin talks fail, these fees may increase further. Besant also appealed to European countries for cooperation in this direction and said that he would have to decide ‘Put up or shut up’ i.e. “come forward or shut up”. This step makes it clear that the US is adopting a policy of keeping India under strategic and economic pressure before Russia-Ukraine peace talks.
At the same time, it is also giving a message that the US is keeping a close watch on India’s role in America-Russia relations and its Russian energy purchase. After this warning, there is a possibility of a long-term impact on Indo-US trade relations.
