‘Right to choose trading partners’: Russia calls Trump’s trade ‘threats’ to India ‘not 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.”

The comments came days after Trump, in a July 31 post on Truth Social, vowed to impose steep tariffs on India for what he described as “obnoxious” trade barriers. His threat included an unspecified “penalty” for buying Russian crude.

‘Unjustified, unreasonable’

New Delhi has called Trump’s threats “unjustified” and vowed to protect its economic interests, deepening a trade rift between the two major economies.

According to the MEA, India’s imports from Russia are driven by necessity and aimed at ensuring predictable and affordable energy costs for Indian consumers.

“India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability,” it added.