Reacting to the Indo-US trade deal, in which Donald Trump claimed India had agreed to several measures, including halting purchases of Russian oil, the Kremlin said it had received no confirmation from India. “So far we have not heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP.
Peskov said that Russia highly values its relationship with India and intends to further develop the strategic partnership.
“We respect bilateral US-India relations. But we attach no less importance to the development of an advanced strategic partnership between Russia and India. This is the most important thing for us, and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi,” he said.
Washington ended months of tariff negotiations on Monday, saying tariffs on Indian goods would be cut to 18 percent from 25 percent under a U.S.-India trade deal, while also saying that Delhi would stop buying Russian oil and increase imports of American goods.
“Great news on tariff cuts”
In response, Prime Minister Modi hailed the deal as “wonderful” news of tariff cuts; however, there was no mention of Russian oil or US claims that India would remove its tariffs on US goods.
He went on to say that when “two major economies and the world’s largest democracies work together, it benefits our people and opens up enormous opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.”
PM Modi also hailed Trump’s leadership as “essential for global peace, stability and prosperity”, adding that he looked forward to working closely with him to take the partnership to “unprecedented heights”.
Soon after, Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on X that India and the US had finalized a trade deal, describing it as a “win-win deal” that would benefit the citizens and industries of both nations.
The development comes nearly a year after New Delhi and Washington formally opened trade talks during Modi’s visit to the US in February last year. Since then, six official rounds of negotiations have taken place, along with several informal discussions. In December 2025, India also hosted a delegation led by the US Trade Representative.
Prior to the announcement, bilateral trade relations faced headwinds following the US decision to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a punitive 25% levy on purchases of Russian oil. Tensions have been further exacerbated by differences over immigration policy, India’s defense and energy engagement with Russia, and Trump’s earlier claims of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire.
No detailed version of the trade agreement has yet been released. The announcement also comes just days after India and the European Union finalized a separate trade pact that both sides are calling the “mother of all deals”.
