‘Political tools, not competition’: Putin suggests Trump’s tariff pressure reflects fear of India’s economic rise

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that recent US tariff actions under President Donald Trump reflect anxiety over India’s growing position in global markets. Speaking exclusively to India Today, Putin said some countries are uncomfortable with New Delhi’s expanding economic influence and are trying to use political tools against it.

In the interview, Putin was asked whether the United States is exerting pressure on India through tariffs and trade measures. Responding to the question, he said such actions are not about fair market competition. “The pressure you have referred to typically involves employing political instruments to influence normal competition,” he told India Today.

Putin’s remarks come at a time when the US has imposed additional duties on Indian goods and expressed concern about New Delhi’s deep energy and defence ties with Moscow. While Washington claims its measures are linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Putin framed them as efforts to reduce India’s growing economic leverage.

According to the Russian president, attempts to push India away from Russian energy are rooted in strategic interests, not commercial logic. He said that bilateral cooperation in the sector remains stable despite Western sanctions and tighter monitoring of Russian crude shipments. “Our energy cooperation with India remains unaffected by current conditions, fleeting political swings or indeed the tragic events in Ukraine,” he told India Today.