US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that President Donald Trump had used “aggressive economic leverage,” including secondary tariffs on India, in a bid to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
In an interview, Vance explained that the tariffs were part of Washington’s broader strategy to curb Moscow’s revenues from its oil trade.
“Trump has applied aggressive economic leverage, for example secondary tariffs on India, to try to make it harder for the Russians to get rich from their oil economy,” Vance said.
The Trump administration has repeatedly criticised India for continuing to purchase discounted Russian crude despite Western sanctions, arguing that such imports indirectly finance Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.
Host asked how the United States could pressure Russia without imposing fresh sanctions. Vance replied that Trump’s tariffs were designed to push Moscow towards negotiations.
“He tried to make it clear that Russia can be reinvented into the world economy if they stop the killing. But they are going to continue to be isolated if they don’t stop the killing,” Vance said.
While Washington has trained its criticism on New Delhi, China — the largest buyer of Russian oil — has largely avoided similar scrutiny from the Trump administration.
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India has consistently defended its purchases of Russian crude, insisting that the imports are driven by national interest and market realities. After Western nations halted oil imports from Moscow following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, New Delhi turned to discounted Russian supplies.
On Saturday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hit back at criticism from the United States and Europe, saying no country was compelled to purchase refined oil or related products from India.
“It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business,” Jaishankar said.
“That’s really curious. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” he added.
Trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi escalated after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent levy linked to India’s Russian crude purchases.
During a visit to Jaipur in April, Vance urged India to reduce non-tariff barriers, grant greater access to American products, and expand purchases of US energy and defence equipment. He described it as part of a larger vision for strengthening bilateral ties in what he called a “prosperous and peaceful” 21st century.
Despite ongoing frictions, Vance expressed cautious optimism about prospects for a breakthrough in the Ukraine conflict.
“I think the Russians have made significant concessions to (US) President (Donald) Trump. For the first time in three and a half years of this conflict, they have actually been willing to be flexible on some of their core demands,” Vance said.
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