In a move that could come as a temporary relief to India, US President Donald Trump signalled a pause on imposing secondary sanctions against Russia and its trading partners for now. Being one of those trading partners, India could breathe easy for now.
Speaking after the Alaska summit, Trump said he was holding off but warned that the decision could change within “2-3 weeks.”
“I may have to think about it (sanctions) in two or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that immediately,” said Trump, who had only days earlier taken an aggressive tone against Russia. “If I did secondary sanctions now, that would be devastating for them,” he was quoted as saying.
He however didn’t elaborate.
In an interview with a media outlet, Trump softened his stance on Russia following the Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. He described the summit as having “went well” and rated it a “10/10”.
Despite the tone of optimism, Trump and Putin left Alaska without reaching a ceasefire agreement in a meeting that reportedly lasted three hours.
The war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, remains unresolved.
The US President stressed that it was now up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to put a positive step forward. He also called for European involvement. “Make a deal,” Trump reportedly told Zelenskyy.
Trump also hinted at the possibility of prisoners’ transfer, saying he had a book of thousands of prisoners who will get released, he said in the interview.
Just days before the summit, Trump had warned Russia of “very severe consequences” if Putin failed to agree to a peace deal. He had also threatened secondary sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil. China and India are currently the top two buyers.
After imposing a reciprocal 25% tariff on India, Trump added another 25% duty on Indian goods in response to India’s continued import of Russian oil, doubling the total levy on Indian imports to 50%.
Trump claimed that these punitive tariffs played a role in prompting Moscow to seek the summit, stating Russia was losing its “second-largest customer”.
However, India has clarified that there has been no pause in Russian oil imports following Trump’s threats.
Also Read: Puff, Pan, And A Price Hike: Sin Goods To Face 40 Per Cent GST Under New Plan https://www.vibesofindia.com/puff-pan-and-a-price-hike-sin-goods-to-face-40-per-cent-gst-under-new-plan/
