In a development that could have major repercussions for India, US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he is ready to impose a second set of sanctions against Russia in connection with the conflict in Ukraine. "Yeah, I am," he replied to reporters when asked about it at the White House.
He offered no further details. However, context from just hours earlier indicates that the US may be considering additional tariffs and other measures targeting Moscow, as well as countries purchasing its oil, including India.
Trump’s “yeah” came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called for stricter sanctions on nations importing Russian oil — with India notably in focus — to trigger the “collapse” of the Russian economy.
Bessent insisted that only such a failure could force Vladimir Putin to negotiate with Ukraine. Trump's efforts at mediating peace have so far failed, even in the face of a summit in Alaska with Putin. Instead, war has only increased since then.
These moves come hard on the heels of a recent show of appreciation of each other by President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi through public statements and social media.
In his reference to “countries that buy Russian oil”, Bessent did not name any as such, but India is the biggest target of US tariffs over this issue. “If the US and the EU can come in with more sanctions, more secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in full collapse and that will bring President Putin to the table,” Bessent told NBC.
Since the outbreak of the war, Russia has been crippled by sanctions imposed by the US and Europe. Despite this, it has kept selling oil and gas to countries like India and China, with a constant stream of revenue.
Top US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have stressed the objective of capping this revenue. This approach has prompted them to refer to the Ukraine war as "Modi's war," with Trump accusing India of "fueling the Russian war machine."
Vance added that tariffs on India are meant as "leverage" against Putin.
India has, however, challenged the logic behind the 25% "penal" tariff — effectively adding up to 50% total US import duties on most Indian products — and said its oil buying is motivated purely by national interest.
In the meantime, the crisis in Ukraine deepened Sunday with Russia's bombing of the central government complex in Kyiv.
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