US President Donald Trump has said he was not aware that the United States continues to import uranium and fertilisers from Russia. His response came amid India’s criticism of Washington’s trade ties with Moscow, even as the US threatens tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued oil imports from Russia.
“I don’t know anything about it. I have to check it out,” Trump said at a White House press conference, when asked about India’s claim that the US was unfairly singling it out while continuing its own trade with Russia. The press meet was originally scheduled to discuss the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
#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…"
— ANI (@ANI) August 5, 2025
(Source: US Network Pool via Reuters) pic.twitter.com/OOejcaGz2t
India has repeatedly pointed to ongoing US-Russia trade to defend its purchase of discounted Russian crude, saying that such imports are driven by national needs and energy security concerns.
Trump threatens higher tariffs on India over Russian oil
Trump on Tuesday, August 5, announced that he would raise tariffs on imports from India “very substantially” within 24 hours, citing India’s oil trade with Russia. He said the current 25 percent tariff on Indian goods was not enough and linked New Delhi’s imports to the war in Ukraine.
“They’re fuelling the war machine, and if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC. He added that while India had agreed to “zero tariffs” for US imports, that offer was not sufficient in light of the oil purchases.
“Now, I will say this, India went from the highest tariffs ever. They will give us zero tariffs, and they’re going to let us go in. But that’s not good enough, because of what they’re doing with oil, not good,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.
In a separate post on Truth Social, Trump alleged that India was profiting from its Russian oil imports. “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” he wrote, without specifying the new tariff rate.
India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) August 5, 2025
India responds, calls out EU and US double standard
In response, India issued a strong statement defending its energy imports and rejecting the US criticism. The Ministry of External Affairs said it was “unjustified and unreasonable” to target India when the US and European Union were continuing their own trade with Russia.
“India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict,” the statement said. It added that India’s shift to Russian oil was triggered by the diversion of traditional supplies to Europe and was, in fact, supported by the US at the time to ensure global energy stability.
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“India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,” the government said.
The ministry also noted that the European Union’s trade with Russia in 2024 included 67.5 billion euro in goods and 17.2 billion euro in services.
“Where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers as well as chemicals,” the statement said. “In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” it added.
