Moscow: Russia criticised US tariff hikes against India and China, warning that threats and ultimatums will not succeed against what it called “ancient civilisations.”
Speaking on Russia’s Channel One programme The Great Game, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said:
“Both China and India are ancient civilisations. Talking to them like, ‘either you stop doing what I don’t like or I’ll impose tariffs on you,’ won’t work. Ongoing contacts between Beijing and Washington, and between New Delhi and Washington, show that the American side understands this too.”
Lavrov’s comments came amid growing US criticism of India’s continued purchase of Russian oil despite the Ukraine war. The Trump administration recently raised tariffs on Indian goods from 25% on August 7 to 50% by August 27, explicitly linking the move to India’s oil trade with Moscow.
The minister said such measures only force countries to find “new markets and new energy sources” while paying higher costs.
“This undermines their economic well-being, but beyond that there is also a moral and political opposition to this approach,” Lavrov added.
Trump’s mixed tone
During his state visit to Britain, Donald Trump highlighted his personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, even as he defended sanctions on India.
“I am very close to India and to the PM of India—I even wished him a happy birthday. But I sanctioned them,” Trump said, arguing that India’s energy trade with Russia was “not playing fair with the US.”
He maintained that lower oil prices would ultimately weaken Moscow’s ability to sustain the war.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro took a harder line, labelling India the “maharaja of tariffs” and accusing Indian refiners of profiteering from Russian supplies after the invasion.
“Indian refiners were in bed with Russian refiners immediately after the invasion. They make money off us via unfair trade and use that to buy Russian oil, which in turn funds weapons,” Navarro alleged.
Russia downplays sanctions
Lavrov dismissed the impact of fresh sanctions on Moscow, noting that Russia had already adapted.
“An enormous amount of sanctions, unprecedented for that period, were imposed during Trump’s first term. We have drawn our conclusions. Later, during Joe Biden’s presidency, sanctions simply replaced diplomacy—there was no search for compromise,” he said.
Despite friction, India and the US remain engaged in talks over an interim trade deal. But with tariffs rising and geopolitical strains deepening, both New Delhi and Beijing continue to emphasize independent policy choices—backed by Moscow’s support.
