Trump blames India, China again for Russia's war, threatens more tariffs

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, US President Donald Trump also attacked his Nato allies, and reiterated his claim of stopping seven wars

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday once again held India and China responsible for financing Russia’s war in Ukraine and reiterated his claim of having stopped the war between India and Pakistan, The Economic Times reported. This marked the first occasion on which India was targeted in such remarks by the United States at the United Nations General Assembly.

 

“China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil,” Trump said during his address at the UN General Assembly, while also emphasising his “seven wars in seven months” claim.

 

India-US trade talks 

 

The comments come amid discussions between the two countries on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA). Trump’s move to impose a 25 per cent reciprocal tariff from August 7 and an additional 25 per cent levy from August 27, in response to India’s Russian oil imports, strained bilateral ties, after both sides failed to reach an interim trade deal.

 

Trump’s relationship with Putin 

Trump said he had expected the Ukraine conflict to be the easiest to resolve, citing his “good” relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Of the seven wars that I stopped, I thought that it would be the easiest because of my relationship with President Putin, which has always been a good one,” he said, adding, “It should have taken a matter of days, certainly less than a week. But they have been fighting for three-and-a-half years.”

 

Criticism of European countries

 

The US President also criticised European nations for continuing to purchase Russian energy. “They have to immediately cease all energy purchases from Russia. Otherwise, we’re all wasting a lot of time,” he said. “The only question now is how many more lives would be needlessly lost on both sides. China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil,” he said, adding that even Nato countries “have not cut off Russian energy products”.

 

The righteous task of protecting the nation that our ancestors built belongs to each and every one of us. ???????? pic.twitter.com/VqYiiQyxAh

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 24, 2025

Threat of additional tariffs 

Trump threatened another round of tariffs to end the conflict swiftly. “To end the war, the US is fully prepared to impose a very strong round of powerful tariffs which would stop the bloodshed very quickly,” he said.

 

The remarks, delivered from the UN stage during his second term, came weeks after his administration imposed tariffs on New Delhi for purchases of Russian oil, raising the total tariff to 50 per cent – among the highest globally.

 

‘Never got a call from UN’ 

Reiterating his claim of ending multiple conflicts, Trump said, “Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for each one of these achievements.” “I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of every one of these countries, and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalising the deal,” he said.

 

Criticism of his Western allies 

Mocking the Nato allies, Trump questioned why they had not halted purchases of Russian oil. He also attacked Western countries for “double standards” on emissions and immigration, describing them as a “double-tailed monster”.