Former U.S. President Donald Trump has once again sparked an international controversy by calling the economies of Russia and India “dead” and threatening harsh economic measures against New Delhi for its cooperation with Moscow. According to The Times, the dispute escalated after Trump published a statement on Truth Social criticizing the Indo-Russian relationship, prompting a sharp reply from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev.
“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Medvedev fired back:
“If certain words spoken by the former president of Russia provoke such a nervous reaction from such a formidable U.S. president, then Russia is completely in the right and will continue on its path.”
He also mockingly added that Trump should “remember his favourite films about ‘the walking dead’,” referring to the American leader’s choice of words.
Tariffs as a Tool of Pressure
The spat began after Trump’s administration announced a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, as well as an unspecified “penalty” in response to India’s continued imports of Russian oil and weapons. Trump added:
“We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way.”
Trump also reminded his followers that India remains one of the largest purchasers of Russian oil and military equipment, alongside China — despite international calls for Moscow to end its aggression in Ukraine:
“They [India] have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD!”
In April, India accounted for 38% of Russia’s crude oil exports. Despite criticism from Western nations, including the UK, New Delhi has maintained a pragmatic stance, insisting that it will continue to do “what’s best for its citizens.”
According to The Times, over the past two decades, Russia has supplied more than $60 billion worth of arms to India — about 65% of its total defense imports. While India is gradually shifting to domestic production, Moscow remains its key defense supplier.
Delhi Says No to Moral Lectures
India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has repeatedly said the country doesn’t need moral lectures from the West:
“Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe’s problems are the world’s problems but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.”
A Blow to Modi — Trump Upsets an Ally
According to political analyst Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr., Trump’s move came as a surprise blow to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
“It’s clear that Trump is going to make life very tough and difficult for Modi. This could be a way of forcing Modi to buy more American oil and military equipment, and India may have no choice but to oblige him.”
Although Trump has previously referred to India as a “friend” and maintained a close personal rapport with Modi, opposition politicians in India are now questioning the value of that friendship.
“After the US has slapped India with 25 percent tariffs, will the PM now grow a spine and stand up to Trump?” asked Congress Party politician KC Venugopal on X.
The situation further deteriorated when Trump, later that night, announced a trade deal with India’s archrival Pakistan, as well as with South Korea. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also confirmed that Trump would attend the upcoming ASEAN summit in October — a major gathering of Southeast Asian leaders, including those from China, Japan, South Korea, and India.
Ultimatums to Putin and Threats of Secondary Sanctions
On Monday, Trump declared that he was shortening the deadline for President Vladimir Putin to take steps toward ending the war in Ukraine — from 50 days down to “10 or 12 days.” On the same day, Medvedev warned Trump:
“Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe [Biden] road,” accusing the U.S. president of playing the “ultimatum game” with Russia.
Trump didn’t hold back in response:
“Tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory,” he wrote just after midnight Washington time.
Trump also threatened to impose 100 percent tariffs on Russian exports to the U.S. and floated the idea of introducing secondary sanctions against countries trading with Russia — a move that could cut off India and China from access to cheap Russian oil.
This article was prepared based on materials published by The Times. The author does not claim authorship of the original text but presents their interpretation of the content for informational purposes.
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