Penal tariff over Russian oil buy not easy thing to do, caused rift with India: Trump

US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that imposing tariffs on India for its purchase of Russian oil created a strain in relations between Washington and New Delhi.

“Look, India was their biggest customer. I put a 50 per cent tariff on them because they’re buying oil from Russia. That’s not an easy thing to do. That’s a big deal and it causes a rift with India,” Trump told an American news channel when asked about measures to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“But I’ve already done it. I’ve done a lot,” he added, before emphasising that the Russia issue “is a Europe problem much more than our problem”.

During the interview, Trump also repeated his claim of having resolved multiple international disputes during his second term as President. He said, “I solved seven wars. I did so many, including Pakistan and India, but big ones, some were unsolvable, Congo and Rwanda. I solved it. It was going on for 31 years, millions of people were killed. I solved wars that were unsolvable.”

India has consistently defended its purchase of Russian crude, maintaining that its energy decisions are guided by national interests and market realities.