Trump dodges question on US imports of Russian uranium as he threatens India over oil trade

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday deflected when asked about America’s ongoing imports of Russian uranium and chemical fertilisers, even as he sharply criticised India’s continued energy ties with Moscow.

“I don’t know anything about it. I have to check…” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question on US-Russia trade.

The remark came amid growing controversy over what India sees as a double standard in Washington’s approach to Russia-related trade.

While the United States continues to import critical materials like uranium and fertilisers from Russia, Trump has accused India of “fueling the Russian war machine” through oil imports.

“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil; they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Monday. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA.”

The comments triggered an unusually sharp rebuke from New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs defended the country's oil imports from Moscow as a “necessity compelled by global market situation” and pointedly highlighted the West’s apparent hypocrisy.

“These accusations are unjustified and unreasonable,” the ministry said in a statement. “India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”

India, which has maintained a non-aligned position since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, argued that its turn to discounted Russian crude was driven by global market disruptions caused by Western sanctions.

At the time, India noted, the United States had “actively encouraged such imports” to help stabilise energy markets.

New Delhi also pointed to the West’s ongoing commercial ties with Russia, citing trade data from 2024 showing that the European Union recorded €67.5 billion in goods trade and €17.2 billion in services with Russia. EU imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) reached a record 16.5 million tonnes last year, surpassing pre-war levels.

“It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia,” the statement said. “Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion.”

India also highlighted continued US imports of Russian uranium, palladium, fertilisers, and industrial chemicals. New Delhi emphasised that its own energy imports are designed to ensure “predictable and affordable” fuel prices for Indian consumers.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Trump said he was preparing to significantly escalate tariffs on Indian goods.

“I think I am going to raise India’s tariffs substantially in the next 24 hours,” he said. “India has not been a good trading partner… they have the highest tariffs in the world.”

Pressed on whether the US would impose similar penalties on other nations that purchase Russian energy, including China, Trump replied vaguely: “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 of time.”