Ahead of US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst, said there is a “strong link” between the talks and the tariffs imposed on India.
“This appears to be Trump’s last-ditch effort to get Putin to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. If that happens, it could ease pressure on India,” Kugelman told the media.
The US recently imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi’s continued oil imports from Russia. Trump said he will meet Putin to explore possible terms for a peace deal before speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders.
“I’m going to see what Putin has in mind, and if it’s a fair deal, I’ll share it with NATO, the EU, and President Zelensky,” Trump said, adding that he would call Zelensky first “out of respect.”
Expressing cautious optimism about future US–Russia trade ties, Trump remarked, “If Putin focused on business instead of war, it could be possible. Russia is a tough nation — they’ve fought a lot of wars.”
Trump added that he would know “within the first two minutes” of the meeting whether a deal could be reached. (Agencies)
