 "President Donald Trump. AP")
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was unaware and “don’t know anything about” United States imports uranium and fertilisers from Russia, a point India has highlighted while defending its trade ties with Moscow amid growing Western criticism.
Responding to a question about US imports of Russian uranium and chemical fertilisers, even as Washington targets India’s oil trade with Moscow, Trump said, “I don’t know anything about it. I have to check…”
US imports from Russia quietly rise
His remarks come even as American imports from Russia continue to quietly rise. Between January and May this year, US imports jumped 23 per cent year-on-year to $2.1 billion, driven by sharp increases in palladium (up 37 per cent), uranium (28 per cent), and fertilisers (21 per cent).
While this marks a partial rebound, overall US merchandise imports from Russia had fallen to $3 billion in 2024, down 90 per cent from 2021, the year before the Ukraine war began.
Trump ramps up pressure on India
Trump earlier ramped up pressure on India, warning of a sharp increase in tariffs within “24 hours” over its continued oil purchases from Russia.
“India hasn’t been a fair trading partner. They do a lot of business with us, but we don’t get the same in return,” he said in an interview with CNBC. “We had settled on a 25 percent tariff, but I’m going to raise it significantly because they’re buying Russian oil and fueling the war machine,” he added.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIndia hits back over ‘unjustified and unreasonable’ tariffs
India hit back strongly on Monday, calling the threat “unjustified and unreasonable” and asserting it would take all necessary steps to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal pointed out that India has been repeatedly targeted by the US and EU over its energy imports from Russia, even as many Western nations continue trade with Moscow.
“In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified. Like any major economy, India will act to protect its interests,” he said.