Did India benefit from the Trump-Putin meeting?

  

 

Did India benefit from the Trum p-Putin meeting?

 

US President Donald Trump has imposed a 50% tariff on India, the highest tariff imposed on any country in the Asian region. These tariffs will come into effect from August 27.

India has publicly objected to this tariff rate. India had said that the US and Europe themselves buy uranium and fertilizers from Russia, so why the ‘double standard’ against India.

Now the question is, what will be the future of the US tariffs on India after the Alaska summit?

Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellani believes that India may get relief after the Alaska summit.

Brahma Chellani wrote on X that ‘Alaska talks may force Trump to reconsider secondary sanctions on energy purchases from Russia.

Asked about tariffs on China, he (Trump) said, “After what happened today, I don’t think we have to think about it any further.”

In Chelani’s opinion, “secondary sanctions on India, including the 25 percent additional tariff that is scheduled to take effect on August 27, could also be delayed.”

Chelani says, “Trade talks between India and the US are scheduled to resume on August 25, just two days before the deadline. In such a situation, Trump may have created room for himself to retreat.”

Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, says that relations between India and the United States may become more bitter after the Alaska meeting.

Michael Kugelman wrote on X that “With no agreement announced, it seems that the meeting did not go well. Now tensions between the United States and India may increase further.”

After meeting Putin, Trump gave an interview to Fox News.

In this interview, when Trump was asked about tariffs on China and India, he said, “Now I will probably have to think about it after two or three weeks, but we do not have to think about it now.”

Anuradha Chinoy is a former dean and retired professor of the School of International Studies, JNU. She is currently affiliated with Jindal Global University as a faculty member.

Speaking to the BBC, Anuradha Chinoy says that ‘In the last few years, India has made almost every effort to strengthen its ties with the US, from promoting big companies to strengthening NRI relations and strategic partnerships in the US.’

‘But the current US foreign policy seems adamant about imposing its imperial interests in South Asia.’

India’s dependence on Russian oil><

According to an analysis by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, China, India and Turkey were the three largest buyers of Russian oil by June 2025. Despite this, India was hit with the highest US tariff.

The US tariff on China is 30% and Turkey is 15%. The US market is India’s largest export market.

In 2024, 18% of India’s total exports went to the US. But a 50% tariff would leave India behind its competitors in the US market.

For example, Vietnam and Bangladesh account for a significant share of US trade. But they are subject to only 20% tariffs.

India is the world’s third-largest crude oil importer. About 85% of the country’s oil needs are met through imports.

Before the Ukraine war, India relied on Middle Eastern countries for most of its oil imports.

In the fiscal year 2017-18, Russia’s share in India’s oil purchases was only 1.3%. But after the Ukraine war, the situation changed.

India’s imports from Russia increased sharply due to the fall in the price of Russian crude oil. By the fiscal year 2024-2025, Russia’s share in India’s crude oil imports will reach 35%.

Despite the availability of cheap crude oil, the average retail price of petrol in the capital, New Delhi, has remained stable at Rs 94.7 per liter for the past 17 months.

This means that the benefit of low prices has not been passed on to consumers.