NSA Doval Meets Russian President Vladimir Putin Amid Trump's Tariff Threats

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Thursday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting came amid Trump's escalating pressure on countries to end ties with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Escalating his tariff offensive against India, Trump on Wednesday slapped an additional 25 per cent duty, doubling it to 50 per cent on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil.

A video clip shared by the Kremlin press service showed Doval shaking hands with Putin before holding the talks. Putin warmly welcomed Doval in his Kremlin chamber.

What Did They Discuss?

According to sources, Doval reiterated New Delhi’s commitment to continue cooperation on all fronts with Russia in spite of outside pressure.

On behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Doval extended an invitation to President Putin to visit India later this year, which Putin has accepted with gratitude, they added.

During the Kremlin meeting, Doval was accompanied by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar. The meeting was also attended by Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu.

Earlier in the day, Doval held talks with Shoigu, who said Russia is committed to further active cooperation with India to form a more just and sustainable world order and ensure the supremacy of international law.

Doval arrived here on Wednesday to hold crucial talks on bilateral energy and defence ties and to prepare the ground for President Putin's visit to India later this year.

His visit commenced on a day when US President Donald Trump issued an executive order slapping an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods as a penalty for buying Russian oil, doubling it to 50 per cent. 

Trump's Tariff Threats Over India-Russia Ties

US President Donald Trump threatened additional secondary sanctions on India owing to its continued purchase of oil from Russia, hours after imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, taking the total to 50 per cent.

Answering the question why India was singled out for penalties for doing business with Russia, he told reporters, "It’s only been eight hours. So, let's see what happens," Trump told reporters when asked why India was being singled out while countries like China also continue to buy Russian oil. "You’re going to see a lot more. You’re going to see so many secondary sanctions."

On July 31, signing a fresh executive order, US President Donald Trump imposed new reciprocal tariffs ranging from 10 per cent to 41 per cent on over 70 countries. The move was in line with his firm stand on 'long-standing imbalances in trade practices'. As per the updated tariff rates mentioned in the executive order, Indian imports will face a 25 per cent tariff.

In a post on social media, Trump said that the US has a massive trade deficit with India and also criticised India for buying a “vast majority" of its military equipment and energy from Russia as he announced a 25 per cent tariff on India.

Although Trump described India as a “friend”, he criticised the country for having “among the highest tariffs in the world” and “the most strenuous and obnoxious non‑monetary trade barriers of any country”, which he argued have hindered U.S.–India commerce over the years.

"India has been a good friend, but India has charged basically more tariffs than almost any other country. You just can't do that", Trump told reporters, as per media reports.