Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has supported United States President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on nations maintaining trade ties with Russia, including India.
“I think the idea to put tariffs on the country...continuing to make deals with Russia is the right idea,” Zelensky said in an interview with ABC News. “We have to stop [buying] any kind of energy from Russia, and by the way, anything, any deals with Russia. We can't have any deals if we want to stop them.”
Zelensky said this when he was asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were pictured laughing together in a light conversation ahead of the session. Modi and Putin also took a car ride together to the venue of their bilateral talks.
"Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to the deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together! President Donald J. Trump," the US President captioned his Truth Social in response to the picture. He had also shared the picture with his post.
Trump’s summit with Putin in Alaska last month failed to produce a diplomatic breakthrough.
Asked about the summit, Zelensky said, “It's a pity that Ukraine was not there. Trump gave Putin what he wanted... he wanted to meet the US President... Putin wanted to show everybody that he is there.”
Zelensky also rejected Putin’s invitation to Moscow for talks, saying, “He (Putin) can come to Kyiv... I can't go to Moscow when my country is under missiles.”
India and China remain the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, helping Russia earn an estimated $985 billion since the war began, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
The United States has doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. India has described the action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”
On Sunday, Trump said he was “not happy with the whole situation” and was prepared to impose new sanctions after Russian missiles and drones struck across Ukraine, killing four people and setting government offices ablaze in Kyiv.
US National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett also signalled tougher action against countries aiding Moscow, singling out India.
“We are responsible for making sure that sanctions get enforced and that people who are helping Russia with their war against Ukraine...for example, what India has been doing by buying Russian oil...that we’re ready to respond to them economically,” Hassett said after Russian military strikes on Ukraine.
Zelensky also criticised European nations that continue energy trade with Russia.
“We all understand that we need additional pressure on Putin. We need pressure from the United States. I think that President Trump is right about the Europeans — I am very thankful to all the partners. But some of them, I mean, they continue to buy oil and Russian gas. And this is not fair...So we have to stop buying any kind of energy from Russia...”
“This is only one, one way [of] how to stop the killer. You need to take off his, I mean, to take off his weapon. Energy is his weapon,” Zelensky added.
The European Union has reduced its reliance on Russian energy but has not fully halted imports. In June, the EU announced a plan to stop all Russian energy purchases by 2027.
India has not yet responded to Zelensky’s comments.
New Delhi has consistently called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
Modi spoke with Zelensky twice last month, expressing India’s support for a peaceful resolution.
“I conveyed India’s consistent position on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict. India remains committed to making every possible contribution in this regard, as well as to further strengthening bilateral ties with Ukraine,” Modi posted on X.
Modi also discussed the situation in Ukraine last week with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council chief Antonio Costa and French President Emmanuel Macron.
On Saturday, external affairs minister S Jaishankar held a call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, reaffirming India’s position on ending the conflict.
Russia has stepped up its attacks since the August 15 meeting between Trump and Putin failed to achieve a ceasefire. Zelensky said he was counting on a “strong” US response.
