US urges Europe to impose tariffs on India: Report
What's the story
The United States has reportedly urged European countries to impose tariffs on India, similar to those it has already imposed. The White House is asking European countries to halt oil and gas purchases from New Delhi, sources told India Today. The Trump administration is also pushing Europe to impose secondary tariffs on India, as it had threatened if New Delhi continued buying Russian oil.
Accusations
US unhappy over India's Russian oil imports
The US has accused India of "fueling" Russia's war in Ukraine by continuing to buy Russian crude oil. This comes despite India's objections to the 50% tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. New Delhi has also criticized what it sees as hypocrisy from the West, pointing out that both China and Europe have continued to buy energy products from Moscow without facing similar tariffs.
Criticism
White House losing patience with European leaders
Sources also claimed that senior White House officials are unhappy with some European leaders. They allege these leaders are publicly backing President Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine while secretly trying to sabotage progress. "White House officials are losing patience with European leaders, whom they claim are pushing Ukraine to hold out for unrealistic territorial concessions by Russia," a top Oval Office source told India Today.
Upcoming talks
Modi to meet Xi, Putin at SCO summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. The talks are likely to focus on issues such as Trump's tariffs on India and Russia's war in Ukraine. The US's push for Europe to impose tariffs on India is likely to be a key topic of discussion during these talks.