Talks in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday didn't stop US President Donald Trump from hitting India with a 25% “secondary tariff” over its purchases of Russian oil, with new US secondary sanctions threatened on Friday. The move marked a sea change in Trump’s Russia policy and creates major challenges for the Russian energy industry and state budget, India being one of the two largest buyer of Russian oil. Moscow says it is unbowed. But its flexibility in the talks with Witkoff reflects a desire to avoid further antagonizing Trump since his attitude to Putin hardened.
US Tariff on Russian Oil Adds to Mounting Pressures
Russian oil exports have proven surprisingly resilient so far, but Trump's "secondary tariff" on India, Moscow's top customer, adds to mounting pressures.
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