I don't...: Trump's SHOCKING response to India's claim about US-Russia uranium and fertilizer trade

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Aug 5) said that he does not know about his country's trade with Russia. His response came when he was asked about America's business with Russia, amid his continuous criticism of India's trade with Russia. Trump on Tuesday, threatened India, saying he would raise the tariff on the country “very substantially over the next 24 hours” due to its purchase of Russian oil. On Monday, Trump had warned that he would raise the tariff on India “substantially”, saying that India was not only buying “massive amounts of Russian oil” but also selling it “on the open market for big profits”. However, in response, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called Trump's comments ‘unjustified and unreasonable’ and stated that it was the US that had encouraged India to buy oil from Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, because such purchases helped stabilise global energy markets. Trump had imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India on July 30.

On Tuesday's press briefing, Trump was asked by Indian news agency ANI: "India says that the US imports Russian uranium, fertilisers, while criticising their energy imports, what is your comment on this?" The US president dodged the question, stating that he is not aware of it. “I don't know anything about it. I will have to check, but I will get back to you on it.” Trump also said that he never specified the exact rate of tariffs he would impose on countries doing business with Russia. "I never said a percentage, but we'll be doing quite a bit of that. We'll see what happens over the next fairly short period of time. But we will see what happens...", Trump added.

India's response to Trump's continuous threats

New Delhi, in its response to the White House, argued that it was the US that had encouraged India to buy oil from Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, as such purchases helped stabilise global energy markets. “Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.” “We make decisions based on the price at which oil is available in the international market, and depending on the global situation at that time,” Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson of the MEA, told journalists in New Delhi on Friday. The MEA statement also highlighted that the US and Europe import several items from Russia while they continue to demand the suspension of India-Russia trade. “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…Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment.,” the statement said.