India, Russia talk up 'strategic partnership' after Trump tariff hike

Russia and India stressed their commitment to a "strategic partnership" in bilateral security talks in Moscow on Thursday, a day after US President Donald Trump announced higher tariffs on imports from India because of its purchases of Russian oil.

Interfax news agency quoted Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval as saying that New Delhi was looking forward to a visit from President Vladimir Putin by the end of the year.

At Doval's meeting with Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, both sides emphasised the importance of the countries' relations.

Trump's imposition of an additional 25% tariff on goods from India, coming into force on August 28, signals the most serious downturn in U.S.-India relations since his return to office in January, threatening to disrupt India's access to its largest export market.

"We are committed to further active cooperation in order to form a new, more just and sustainable world order, ensure the supremacy of international law, and jointly combat modern challenges and threats," Shoigu told Doval in televised comments.

Interfax quoted Doval as saying: "We have now established very good relations, which we value very much, a strategic partnership between our countries".

India and China have become the top buyers of Russian seaborne crude oil since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, precipitating Western efforts to choke the Russian economy.

Trump had threatened measures against countries buying Russian oil before he announced the new tariff on Indian goods, which raised the total duty to 50%.

On Tuesday, the Kremlin accused the United States of exerting illegal trade pressure on New Delhi, saying India has the right to trade with whomever it chooses.

India's state refiners have stopped Russian oil purchases as the discounts narrowed and Trump warned countries not to buy Moscow's oil, industry sources said. Private refiners Reliance Industries and Nayara are Russia's top oil clients in India, trade data shows.

An Indian official familiar with the matter said Doval would discuss India's purchases of Russian crude during his visit to Moscow. He was also expected to discuss India's defence collaboration with Russia, the official said.

India signed a $5.5 billion deal with Russia in 2018 for five S-400 Triumf long-range surface-to-air missile systems, which New Delhi says it needs to counter a threat from China.

But deliveries of the systems have been delayed several times. Moscow is expected to deliver units of the final two S-400 systems to India in 2026 and 2027.

New Delhi has traditionally relied heavily on arms imports from Russia, although it has dramatically reduced those imports and shifted to Western buyers in recent years.