Russia's Vladimir Putin Likely To Visit India In Late August Amid Trump Tariff War: Report

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India in late August, according to a report by Russian news agency Interfax. The update was attributed to India's National Security Adviser, Ajit Doval, during his ongoing visit to Moscow.

Although no official confirmation has been issued by the Indian government, the report has stirred speculation about deepening strategic ties between New Delhi and Moscow-especially at a time when India faces mounting pressure from Washington over its energy dealings with Russia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is already slated to travel to Japan and China on 28 August.

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Tensions between New Delhi and Washingto have flared after former US President Donald Trump signed a fresh executive order on Wednesday, imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India.

The White House cited India's alleged import of crude oil and petroleum products from the Russian Federation-whether directly or through third-party intermediaries-as grounds for the move.

The new tariffs bring the total US import duty on Indian goods to a hefty 50% , sparking concerns of an emerging trade war between the two strategic partners.

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According to the executive order, the Trump administration believes India's continued purchase of Russian oil undermines US foreign policy objectives and national security interests.

The US directive, published by the White House, broadly defines“indirect imports” as any procurement through middlemen or third countries where the Russian origin of oil can be reasonably traced.

The additional 25% tariffs are set to take effect 21 days after the order's signing, giving India and Russia a narrow window to initiate diplomatic negotiations to seek relief.

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India's state-run oil refiners have already begun scaling back purchases of Russian crude, Bloomberg reported. This cautious shift appears to be in direct response to Washington's increasing scrutiny and the newly imposed duties.

India has so far maintained a balancing act, asserting its sovereign right to energy security while attempting to preserve strategic relations with both the United States and Russia.

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Should President Putin's visit go ahead as reported, it may serve as a high-stakes moment in India's geopolitical strategy. The timing-coinciding with US trade threats and possible diplomatic manoeuvring-could reinforce the optics of a resilient Indo-Russian partnership, even as New Delhi seeks to manage its complex ties with Washington.

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