On the eve of his highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump once again displayed his characteristic brand of diplomacy—equal parts arm-twisting and brinkmanship.
Speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska, Trump suggested that Washington might hold back on secondary tariffs aimed at countries still purchasing Russian crude—a measure that had already eroded India’s trade competitiveness and stoked economic anxiety in New Delhi.
“Well, he (Putin) lost an oil client, so to speak, which is India, which was doing about 40 per cent of the oil. China, as you know, is doing a lot… And if I did what’s called a secondary sanction, or a secondary tariff, it would be very devastating from their standpoint.
If I have to do it, I’ll do it. Maybe I won’t have to do it,” Trump declared, using the language of threat more than cooperation.
This statement was no mere aside—it was a calculated pressure tactic. Trump positioned India’s curtailed Russian oil imports as an American win, boasting that his aggressive tariff policy had “essentially taken them out of buying oil from Russia” and “probably” nudged Moscow toward the negotiating table.
Yet, despite the theatrics, the Alaska summit concluded without a breakthrough on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The display underscored how Trump’s hardball approach—escalating pressure, dangling threats, and keeping global partners off balance—remains his preferred diplomatic style.
Adding to the heat, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had warned ahead of the summit that if talks went poorly, Washington could escalate tariffs further on India’s Russian oil imports.
“Sanctions can go up, they can be loosened. They can have a definitive life. They can go on indefinitely,” he told Bloomberg, reinforcing the administration’s strategy of keeping pressure points alive as bargaining chips.
Already, India has been hit with tariffs totaling 50 per cent, including an additional 25 per cent levy on Russian oil imports, effective August 27. New Delhi has condemned the measures as “unjustified and unreasonable,” with the Ministry of External Affairs vowing to take “all necessary steps to safeguard national interests and economic security.”
At the same time, India struck a diplomatic balance, “welcoming” the Alaska summit while emphasizing the importance of dialogue over coercion. India welcomes the Summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable… India appreciates the progress made in the Summit. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,” said the MEA spokesperson.
In essence, Trump’s message was clear: his tariff weapon is not just economic policy—it is a tool of geopolitical leverage. By squeezing India’s oil options, he both punished Moscow and projected American dominance. Whether such tactics bring peace or prolong global uncertainty remains an open question.
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