US Democrats reject tariffs on India, urge Trump to punish Putin

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee of Democrats refuted US President Donald Trump’s rationale behind imposing punitive tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, saying that it will not stop Russian President Vladimir Putin from continuing his war in Ukraine. Instead, the Democratic panel, which oversees foreign policy, should punish Putting and provide Ukraine with the military aid it requires.

“Tariffing India won’t stop Putin. If Trump really wanted to address Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, maybe punish Putin and give Ukraine the military aid it needs. Everything else is smoke and mirrors,” the US House Foreign Affairs Committee of Democrats stated in a post on X on Friday (August 15).

Inconclusive Trump-Putin meet

The panel’s comment comes a day after the much-anticipated talks between Trump and Putin in Alaska ended in an inconclusive manner, with Trump saying "there is no deal until there is a deal" and both leaders describing the talks as "very productive" and "mutually respectful".

Interestingly, the Democrat panel in its post on X attached a video of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's interview to Bloomberg TV, where he warned that the US may impose higher tariffs on India depending on the outcome of the Trump-Putin talks in Alaska.

Watch: Trump-Putin Alaska meeting: Why it matters | Prof Swaran Singh explains

Scott Bessent's tariff warning to India

“I think everyone has been frustrated with President Putin. We expected that he would come to the table in a more fulsome way. It looks like he may be ready to negotiate, and we have put secondary tariffs on Indians for buying Russian oil, and I could see if things don’t go well, then sanctions and secondary tariffs could go up,” Bessent told Bloomberg TV.

However, when asked about whether Trump was planning to impose similar tariffs on China for buying Russian oil, Bessent did not give a specific answer. Instead, he lauded Trump for his ability to create “leverage for himself”, adding that he would make it very clear to Putin that all options were on the table.

Earlier, Trump had imposed 25 per cent punitive tariffs on India for buying crude oil from Russia, alleging that Russia was using the revenue to fund its war in Ukraine. This, along with the 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs imposed earlier, pushed the US tariff rates on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Also Read: Putin-Trump meeting: What happened or what did not happen? 10 points

The backdrop

On Friday, the Trump-Putin summit at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, concluded without achieving a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Putin's first US visit in a decade featured ceremonial grandeur, including red carpet treatment and military flyovers, but the three-hour meeting yielded no concrete agreements.

Trump acknowledged they "didn't get there" on ending the Ukraine conflict, while Putin claimed a vague "understanding" without specifics. Ukrainian President Zelensky's exclusion drew sharp criticism from Kyiv and European allies, who emphasised that peace negotiations cannot occur without Ukraine's participation.