'Right idea', says Zelenskyy as he backs Trump’s tariffs on India over Russian oil purchase

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has backed US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on India and other countries which continue to purchase oil and natural gas from Russia, stating that it was the “right idea.”

‘Energy is Putin’s weapon’

Zelenskyy, responding to a question of the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putting and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during the SCO Summit in China, stated energy was Putin’s “weapon” and that all kinds king energy trade with Russia must be stopped to put extra pressure on Putin to end the war against Ukraine. However, Zelenskyy did not directly mention India in his comment.

“I think the idea to put tariffs on the countries that continue to make deals with Russia, I think this is a right idea,” Zelenskyy told ABC News during an interview on Sunday at a bombed US-owned factory in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s comments come at a time when the India-US ties have turned frosty with Trump’s decision to slap a 25 per cent retaliatory tariff on New Delhi for its purchase of Russian oil. Trump claims that Russia uses the revenue generated from India’s oil purchases to fund its war in Ukraine. India, however, has refuted the claim and called it “unjustified”. Combined with the earlier 25 per cent reciprocal tariff, the total rate of US tariffs on Indian goods now stands at 50 per cent.

Also Read: Between US sanctions and strategy: PM Modi’s diplomatic dilemma

Some EU countries' deal with Russia ‘unfair’

Expressing displeasure over a section of European countries’ decision to continue buying oil and natural gas from Russia, the Ukrainian President further stated that the action was “not fair” adding all kinds of energy purchases from Russia must be stopped.

"We all understand that we need additional pressure on Putin. We need pressure from the United States. And I said that 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," said Zelenskyy as quoted by ABC News.

"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," he added.

Also Read: Trump’s gamble: Can he broker peace in the Russia-Ukraine war?

Snubs Putin’s Moscow meet offer

Zelenskyy scoffed at Putin’s comment that he can meet the Ukrainian President can meet him in Moscow, saying, "He can come to Kyiv.”

"I can't go to Moscow under -- when my country is under missiles, under attacks each day. I can't go to the capital of this terrorist. It's understandable. And he understands it,” said Zelenskyy.

"It's the same proposition, as I said, that he has to come to Kyiv. So it's understandable that he is doing it … to again, to postpone the meeting we set," he added. However, he said that he was ready for any kind of meeting with Putin as long as it was not in Russian territory.

His comments come days after Russia launched over 800 drones and missiles at Ukraine, leaving at least 8 civilians dead, 59 others injured and key government buildings in Kyiv damaged.