File photo: US press secretary Karoline Leavitt (Picture credit: AP)
US President Donald Trump imposed steep additional tariffs on Indian goods as part of efforts to push Russia towards ending the conflict in Ukraine, the White House said on Tuesday.Trump had doubled India’s tariffs to 50 per cent by adding an extra 25 per cent duty on top of the previously announced rate, which will take effect from August 27.Addressing reporters, US press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Look, the president has put tremendous public pressure to bring this war to a close. He’s taken actions, as you’ve seen, sanctions on India and other actions as well”, adding that the intent was to apply “secondary pressure” on Moscow.The move comes just days after Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, where both leaders signalled progress towards a potential trilateral dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump described the talks as “a very successful day”, while Zelenskyy called it the “best conversation” he had held with the US president so far.Leavitt stressed that Trump was determined to speed up peace efforts. “The president wants to move and he wants to bring this war to an end as quickly as possible,” she said, noting that European leaders and Nato chiefs who visited Washington after Trump’s recent meeting with Putin also viewed the talks as a “great first step”.She further claimed that European leaders were “very grateful” for Trump’s readout of Russia’s position, saying, “something that was not done by the previous administration at all.”On trade implications, Indian refiners have begun holding back on September-loading Russian oil tenders until there is clarity on the penalties. Executives warned that replacing Russian crude quickly would be difficult, as it makes up about 35 per cent of India’s imports. “If such a large supply disappears from the market, it will create tension and lead to price increases,” one industry official said.Leavitt also repeated Trump’s long-standing claim that the war would never have begun had he been in office, adding that Putin himself had agreed. “True. Do you accept that as true? The European leaders do. Well, and President Putin himself said that, by the way,” she remarked when asked by a reporter.She emphasised that Trump was discussing long-term security guarantees with Nato and European partners. “He understands the need for that … He has expended an incredible amount of time, energy and effort into bringing this war to an end, and he remains determined to do that,” she said.
