Russia-US talks: Were tariffs on India a way to get Putin to come to the table? What Trump said – Times of India

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the secondary tariffs imposed on India may have influenced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to meet him, ahead of their scheduled summit in Alaska on Friday. Trump said the tariffs “probably” played a part in bringing Moscow to the table as he seeks a peace deal in Ukraine.In an interview with Fox News Radio, Trump said, “Everything has an impact,” referring to the secondary tariffs against India that “essentially took them out of buying oil from Russia.” He added, “Certainly, when you lose your second largest customer and you’re probably going to lose your first largest customer, I think that probably has a role.”The Alaska summit is intended as a preliminary meeting between the two leaders, paving the way for a second round of talks that would also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.The MAGA chief said that he is primarily focused on achieving an “immediate peace deal” and also that if the first meeting makes progress, he would call Zelenskyy directly to join the discussions.Earlier this month, Trump imposed steeper tariffs on Indian imports, raising the rate to 50 per cent for many products, up from 25 per cent, making it one of the highest applied to any US trading partner. India has strongly objected, calling the measures “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” while defending its oil purchases as essential for national energy security and to protect millions from rising fuel costs.US treasury secretary Scott Bessent has warned that Washington could further increase secondary tariffs on India if diplomatic efforts in Ukraine fail. Trump has repeatedly stressed that there would be “very severe consequences” for Russia if it does not halt its war against Ukraine.