Trump Urges EU to Impose 100% Tariffs on India, China to Pressure Putin: Report

U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering slapping tariffs of up to 100% on India and China—Russia’s two largest oil buyers—in a bid to pressure Moscow to end the war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported.

Trump, who already doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% earlier this year, told senior U.S. and EU officials in Washington that further hikes would depend on Europe’s willingness to act in coordination. “We’re ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” an unnamed official told the paper.

The push for “dramatic tariffs” comes months after Trump gave Russian President Vladimir Putin 50 days to strike a deal to end the conflict. The U.S. currently imposes a 30% duty on Chinese imports but has so far avoided sharper increases despite Beijing being Moscow’s biggest oil customer.

India, meanwhile, has emerged as a key buyer of Russian crude, sourcing 35% of its oil from Russia in the first half of 2025, according to Reuters.

The tariff threat follows the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping projected unity. Trump reacted by posting on Truth Social: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China,” though he later softened his stance, praising Modi as a “great Prime Minister” and stressing continued trade talks.