Relations between India and the United States have taken a hit after Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to meet U.S. President Donald Trump upon learning that Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal General Asim Munir, had been hosted at the White House.
The refusal follows a tense 35-minute phone call in June 2018, during which Modi dismissed Trump’s claim of being a “peacemaker” between India and Pakistan, insisting that any ceasefire was a direct agreement between the two nuclear-armed nations.
Citing an official trip to Croatia, Modi cancelled his planned Washington visit, reportedly to avoid an unexpected encounter with Asim Munir.
In response, Trump announced a 50% combined tariff on imports from India, linking the move to New Delhi’s oil trade with Russia. He stated there would be no further trade negotiations with India until the dispute is resolved, without specifying whether this meant ending the Ukraine war or addressing prior tariff disagreements.
The U.S. said the tariff hike was part of efforts to pressure Moscow into a ceasefire, noting that India is Russia’s second-largest oil buyer. Initially, Trump had given Russia 50 days to agree to a ceasefire before imposing harsher measures on its oil customers, later cutting the deadline to 12 days. The extra 25% tariff on Indian imports will take effect on August 27.
Due to rising tensions, Trump Plans Major Tariff Hike on India Over Russian Oil Purchases
