Trump blasts India-Russia ties, calls Indian economy ‘dead’ in latest outburst

US President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a blistering attack on India’s ties with Russia, calling both nations “dead economies” just hours after he annouced an unspecified penalty on New Delhi for its continuing military and energy cooperation with Moscow.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

The comments mark a sharp escalation in Trump’s rhetoric amid growing strain in US-India relations. While Trump previously criticised India’s high tariffs and trade barriers, his latest remarks directly questioned the health of India’s economy and framed its alliance with Russia as a threat to American interests.

India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, has deepened its energy and defence ties with Russia in recent years. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India ramped up crude oil imports from Russia and continues to buy large quantities of Russian military equipment.

India is now Russia’s second-largest oil customer after China.

Trump also took aim at a top Russian official, saying, “Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!”

His statement comes days after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned that Trump's “ultimatum game” with Russia could spark a wider conflict. “Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war,” Medvedev posted on X earlier this week.

On Wednesday, Trump announced the imposition of a 25% tariff on all goods coming from India starting August 1, along with an unspecified penalty for buying Russian weapons and oil.

Trump, in his post, accused India of undermining international pressure on Moscow: “They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!”

The commerce ministry responded cautiously, saying it had “taken note” of Trump’s remarks, while asserting that it remains committed to the objective of a "fair, balanced and mutually beneficial" trade agreement with the United States.

“India and the US have been engaged in negotiations on concluding a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months,” the statement read. “We remain committed to that objective.”

The two nations have been engaged in months-long negotiations aimed at finalising the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement by the fall.

An interim deal was expected to precede the full agreement. A US delegation is scheduled to visit New Delhi on August 25 for the next round of talks.

India has resisted US demands for duty concessions on sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy products, and farmers' associations have urged the government to exclude them from trade negotiations. India has never offered tariff concessions on dairy in previous free trade agreements.

Washington, on the other hand, wants concessions for a broad range of US exports, including electric vehicles, industrial goods, wines, petrochemicals, dairy, apples, tree nuts, and genetically modified crops.

“The Government attaches the utmost importance to protecting and promoting the welfare of our farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs,” the ministry said.

It also emphasised that the government will take “all steps necessary” to secure India’s national interest.