Subhechcha Ganguly 
In a sharp rebuke, former US President Donald Trump lashed out at India over its trade and defense ties with Russia, calling both countries’ economies “dead” and warning of repercussions. Posting on Truth Social, Trump said, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”
Trump’s comments came a day after he announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports starting August 1, along with unspecified penalties related to India’s continued cooperation with Moscow. “We have done very little business with India. Their tariffs are among the highest in the world,” he added.
He also targeted Russia directly, saying, “Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way. And tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words — he’s entering dangerous territory.”
Trump’s remarks follow recent criticism from Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian President, who accused Trump of playing the “ultimatum game,” warning it could escalate into a wider conflict involving the US. Medvedev had posted on X that each new threat from Washington was a “step toward war.”
Trump has also expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he was disappointed in the lack of progress on ending the war in Ukraine. Trump recently shortened his proposed peace deadline from 50 days to 10-12 days.
Following Trump’s announcement, Indian markets reacted sharply. The Nifty 50 fell 0.61% to 24,703.1, and the BSE Sensex dropped 0.64% to 80,963.14 on Thursday morning. All 16 major sectors posted losses, with mid-cap and small-cap indices also slipping.
The aggressive tariff move threatens to derail ongoing diplomatic trade talks between India and the US, raising concerns over a potential trade rift between the two countries.
