On 5th August (local time), US President Donald Trump said that he didn’t know the United States was still doing business with Russia, even as he criticised India for continuing to import oil from Russia.
When ANI reporter Reena Bhardwaj asked about the billions of dollars in American imports of Russian goods like uranium and fertiliser, Trump responded, “I don’t know anything about it. We will have to check it out, and we will get back to you.”
In response to my question, “Mr. President, India says the U.S. imports Russian uranium and chemicals while criticizing their energy imports. Your response?”
— REENA BHARDWAJ (@reenabhardwaj) August 6, 2025
President Trump replied: “I don’t know anything about it. We will have to check and we will get back to you.” https://t.co/Y6chXqK1SF
His comment was made during a press conference at the White House, which was called to talk about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
When asked about his threat that whether it was fair for the US to threaten India with 100% tariffs over Russian oil, while the US itself continued trading with Russia. Trump didn’t give a clear answer but hinted that more trade penalties could be on the way for countries buying Russian energy.
“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… We have a meeting with Russia tomorrow. We’re going to see what happens,” he said.
The US still importing Russian goods
Even three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States has not fully cut off its trade ties with Moscow. The US has imported more than $24.5 billion worth of Russian goods since January 2022. This year alone, it bought $1.27 billion worth of fertilisers, $624 million in uranium and plutonium, and nearly $878 million in palladium.
This ongoing trade has not gone unnoticed in India. New Delhi has pointed out this contradiction to counter Washington’s growing pressure to stop buying discounted Russian crude oil. Indian officials say it’s unfair to criticise India while the US continues business with Moscow.
Tariff threats and accusations
This week, Donald Trump again threatened to sharply increase tariffs on Indian goods. Speaking to CNBC, he said that the current 25% tariffs on imports from India could be raised “very substantially” within 24 hours. He didn’t give an exact figure but said the reason was India’s ongoing oil trade with Russia.
“They’re fueling the war machine, and if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” he said.
Trump also repeated his long-standing complaint that India’s tariffs on US goods are too high, calling them “among the highest in the world.”
Trade dispute between India and US
The latest developments come shortly after Trump announced on 30th July that the US would be imposing 25% tariffs on Indian goods. These tariffs are expected to take effect from 7th August.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the move was partly due to India’s trade with Russia, including oil and weapons purchases.
He said he considered India a friend but argued that its tariffs were too high and that such trade policies could no longer be tolerated. “But now I’m in charge, and you just can’t do that,” he said.
India, on its part, has said it is working towards a “fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” trade deal with the US. Last year, the US had a trade deficit of $45.8 billion with India.
Back in April, Trump had already announced plans to slap tariffs of up to 27% on Indian goods, though that was later paused. Now, with the 1st August deadline passed, pressure is again mounting on both sides to reach an agreement.
