Trump Seeks 100% EU Tariffs on India Amid Fraying US-India Ties
relations between India and the US have experienced a significant downturn, primarily attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to endorse Donald Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.
RMN News Trade Desk
September 10, 2025
(New Delhi/Washington D.C.) – US President Donald Trump has urgently called upon the European Union to impose 100 percent tariffs on China and India as a critical strategy to intensify economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and to significantly reduce Russia’s oil revenues.
This latest demand emerges amidst already strained relations between the United States and India, a situation reportedly exacerbated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to support Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and previous US tariffs levied against India for its continued purchases of Russian oil.
Trump’s plea was made during a high-level meeting in Washington involving senior US and EU officials, where the primary focus was on exploring new options to escalate economic pressure on Russia. Addressing negotiators directly, Trump articulated his strategy bluntly: “We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us”.
He argued that the “obvious approach” is to “put on dramatic tariffs and keep the tariffs on until the Chinese agree to stop buying the oil,” emphasizing that “there really aren’t many other places that oil can go”. The White House’s growing frustration over the persistent difficulty in securing a peace settlement, particularly as Russia intensifies aerial bombardments across Ukraine, is driving this push.
[ Download and Read: Smokescreen Research Report on Politics in India ]
US and European nations, according to Trump’s message, must utilize trade tools to squeeze the Kremlin by targeting countries that continue to purchase large volumes of Russian crude. A second US official indicated that the administration is prepared to “mirror” any tariffs imposed by the EU, signifying Washington’s desire for Brussels to act in tandem to create a transatlantic front aimed at severing Russia’s key economic lifeline.
Concurrently, relations between India and the US have experienced a significant downturn, primarily attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to endorse Donald Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. A report in The New York Times highlighted a critical phone call on June 17, during which Trump, while attending the G7 Summit, reportedly claimed credit for the India-Pakistan ceasefire and hinted at Modi’s support for his Nobel nomination.
However, PM Modi reportedly “bristled” at this suggestion, informing the US President that America had “nothing to do” with the ceasefire, which was a direct understanding between the two nations without any third-party involvement. This disagreement, particularly the Indian Prime Minister’s disengagement on the Nobel Prize issue, “played an outsize role” in the deteriorating relationship, with the two leaders reportedly not having spoken since that June 17 call.
Adding to the existing tensions, PM Modi further clarified in the Indian Parliament in July that “no world leader asked India to stop Operation Sindoor,” subtly refuting Trump’s earlier mediation claims without explicitly naming him. Following these developments, Trump notably imposed 25 percent tariffs on India, which were then followed by “additional levies on Indian goods as a punishment for Russian oil purchases”. These existing tariffs underscore the ongoing economic pressure from the US on India, now further complicated by Trump’s proposal for a joint 100 percent tariff strategy with the EU.
An RMN News Poll conducted as of September 10, 2025, provides insight into public sentiment regarding Trump’s Nobel prospects. The poll found that 59.71 percent of respondents believe President Donald Trump could indeed win the Nobel Peace Prize if he successfully resolves the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan, while 35.16 percent believe he cannot, and 5.13 percent remain undecided.
These interconnected developments highlight the complex and evolving landscape of international diplomacy and trade, as the US endeavors to leverage economic tools to address geopolitical conflicts, even as it navigates already strained bilateral relationships.
Rakesh Raman | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter (X)
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