‘You can't talk to India or China in that way… Colonial era is over’: Putin on Trump's tariff move | Watch

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the US “cannot talk to India or China that way”, as he referred to US President Donald Trump’s tariff moves, adding that “the colonial era is over.”

Addressing the media in China after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and the country’s Victory Day parade, Putin said that Trump is using economic pressure as a tool to undermine two of Asia’s biggest countries.

“Attempting to weaken their leadership, built through difficult histories, is a mistake,” Putin said.

🚨🇷🇺 'YOU CANNOT TALK TO INDIA OR CHINA LIKE THAT:' Putin on economic pressure against partners

"Attempting to weaken their leadership, built through difficult histories, is a mistake." pic.twitter.com/GsiU3K3mnZ

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) September 3, 2025

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“You have countries like India with 1.5 billion people, China, powerful economies, but they also have their own domestic political mechanisms and laws. When somebody tells you they are going to punish you, you have to think – how can the leadership of those big countries react?” the Russian leader added.

Putin said that Washington’s move against partners mimics the colonial era and is outdated. “Ultimately, things will be sorted out, everything will take its place, and we will see normal political dialogue again,” he further said in a tone of optimism.

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More tariffs coming?

Meanwhile, Trump stated that he has imposed secondary sanctions on India for purchasing Russian oil and hinted that he has not yet moved on to “phase two” or “phase three."

“How do you know there’s no action? Would you say that putting secondary sanctions on India, the largest purchaser outside of China, they’re almost equal, would you say there was no action? That cost hundreds of billions of dollars to Russia. You call that no action? And I haven’t done phase two yet or phase three. But when you say there’s no action, I think you ought to get yourself a new job,” he said while answering a Polish journalist’s question on tariffs.