Putin Defends India, Slams US Tariffs
Russian President slams Western dominance, backs India’s right to trade as Trump doubles tariffs to 50% over Russian oil imports.
- Putin says “colonial era is over,” urges equal rights in global politics.
- Warns West against punishing India and China for sovereign choices.
- Remarks follow US tariffs on India doubled to 50% over Russian crude.
- Trump adviser Navarro criticises Modi’s ties with Putin and Xi.
GG News Bureau
Beijing, 4th Sept: Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly defended India against US tariff measures, declaring that the “colonial era is over” and warning the West against using a domineering tone with sovereign nations.
Addressing the press at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, Putin said major powers like India and China have their own unique political systems and domestic laws, and attempts to “punish” them only undermine international balance.
“From an international law point of view, everyone must have equal rights, and must be in a similar position,” he said. “Countries have had difficult periods in their history, such as colonialism, attacks on sovereignty for prolonged periods of time. Now that the colonial era is over, they have to realise that they cannot use this tone in speaking with their partners.”
Putin’s remarks come days after US President Donald Trump’s administration doubled tariffs on India to 50 percent — half in retaliation for New Delhi’s continued crude imports from Russia, and half under Trump’s “America First” policy to cut trade deficits.
Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, escalated criticism of India’s ties with Moscow, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent SCO summit with Putin and Xi Jinping a “shame.” He said: “We hope he comes around to seeing that he needs to be with us and not Russia.”
Despite mounting pressure, India has defended its purchases of Russian oil, rejecting Washington’s tariffs as “unjustified.” Experts view the move as a strain on Indo-US ties after years of strategic cooperation.
