Discussions at the SCO summit in Tianjin over the next two days are expected to focus heavily on Trump’s tariffs on India and the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to sources cited by India Today, the White House has urged European countries to enforce sanctions similar to those imposed by the US on India, including a complete stop to oil and gas purchases from New Delhi.
The Trump administration is also pressuring Europe to impose secondary tariffs on India, echoing earlier warnings that the US would take such steps if New Delhi continued importing oil from Moscow. This follows India’s repeated objections to the 50 percent tariffs enforced by Donald Trump on Russian crude purchases, while pointing out Western double standards. India argues that despite China being the largest buyer of Russian oil and Europe’s continued energy imports from Moscow, both have avoided the punitive measures that India is facing.
Washington has accused India of indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine by continuing crude imports, a charge New Delhi has firmly rejected. Sources revealed that some senior White House officials suspect European leaders of publicly supporting Trump’s efforts to end the war while privately undermining progress since the Trump-Putin Alaska summit.
While the US has been vocal in its criticism of India for profiting from Russian oil, most European nations have stayed largely silent, neither backing nor opposing Trump’s tariff strategy. Oval Office insiders told India Today that frustration is growing in Washington, as European leaders are accused of pushing Ukraine to demand unrealistic territorial concessions, a move Trump’s aides argue is prolonging the war.
On the sidelines of the SCO summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to hold trilateral talks. Against this backdrop, Trump’s tariffs on India and the Ukraine conflict are set to dominate discussions in Tianjin.
