‘Never said percentage’: Trump on tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy

#WATCH | On being asked about imposing 100% tariffs on all countries that purchase Russian energy, including China, US President Donald Trump says, “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… pic.twitter.com/qHOVywQ9TW

— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025

The US president’s remarks come days after he slapped India with 25 per cent tariffs alongside an unspecified “penalty” for its imports from Russia.

In July, the Republican leader had threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Russia and “secondary tariffs” on the countries that buy oil from them if Moscow failed to reach a peace agreement with Ukraine within 50 days.

“We’re very, very unhappy with them. And we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days. Tariffs at about 100 per cent, you’d call them secondary tariffs,” Trump had said.

‘I don’t know anything about it’

Trump said that he was unaware of Washington’s Uranium trade with Moscow and that he will have to “check it”.

The US president’s response came as he was questioned about India’s rebuttal to his steep tariff threats over New Delhi’s “obnoxious” trade barriers and the purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia.

Calling Trump’s threats “unjustified”, India highlighted the inconsistency in Washington’s stance, stating that the US was singling India out while continuing its business with Moscow.

#WATCH | Responding to ANI’s question on US imports of Russian Uranium, chemical fertilisers while criticising their (Indian) energy imports’, US President Donald Trump says, “I don’t know anything about it. I have to check…”

(Source: US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/OOejcaGz2t

— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025

“I don’t know anything about it. I have to check,” Trump.

‘Right to choose trading partners’: Russia

Earlier, Russia hit out at Trump over his tariff threats to India, calling his pressure tactics “not legal”.

Responding to Trump’s announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “We hear many statements that are in fact threats, attempts to force countries to cut trade relations with Russia. We do not consider such statements to be legal.”

In a sharp rebuke of Trump’s stance, Peskov added, “We believe that sovereign countries should have and do have the right to choose their own trading partners, partners for trade and economic cooperation, and to choose for themselves the forms of trade and economic cooperation that are in the interests of a particular country.”