ALBAWABA- U.S. President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on India’s trade and defense policies on Sunday, claiming that New Delhi had belatedly offered to cut tariffs on American goods to “zero,” but insisting the move came “too late.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused India of exploiting the U.S. in what he called a “totally one-sided relationship” that allowed Indian goods broad access to American markets while U.S. businesses faced prohibitive tariffs in India.
“They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago,” Trump wrote, also criticizing India for buying “most of its oil and military products from Russia, very little from the U.S.”
Trump’s remarks came just hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China.
Modi also held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with both leaders pledging to ease border tensions and boost bilateral cooperation.
In social media posts, Modi described his China visit as “productive,” thanking President Xi and the Chinese people for hosting the summit. He highlighted India’s commitment to “key global issues” and its role in the SCO.
In a separate post in Russian, Modi praised his meeting with Putin, emphasizing cooperation in trade, fertilizers, space, security, and culture, while reaffirming India and Russia’s “Special Privileged Strategic Partnership.”
Trump’s rejection of India’s tariff offer and criticism of its ties with Moscow signal a new flashpoint in U.S.–India relations, even as New Delhi deepens its engagement with both Russia and China.
