Trump Escalates Trade War Rhetoric, Calls India And Russia 'Dead Economies'

US President Donald Trump has launched another verbal assault on India's economic relationship with Russia, dismissing both nations as having "dead economies" while expressing indifference toward their bilateral trade arrangements.

In a Thursday morning post on Truth Social, Trump declared his lack of concern regarding India-Russia commerce, stating the two countries could "take their dead economies down together." The President simultaneously criticized India's tariff structure, describing it as among the world's highest and citing minimal US-India business activity as justification for his stance.

Trump's comments also targeted Russia directly, advocating for continued minimal economic engagement between Washington and Moscow. He specifically warned former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to moderate his language, suggesting the Russian official was "entering very dangerous territory" with recent statements.

The outburst follows Trump's announcement of a 25% tariff on Indian imports, scheduled to begin August 1, along with unspecified penalties related to India's defense and trade connections with Russia. This tariff rate significantly exceeds measures imposed on other major trading partners, potentially disrupting months of bilateral negotiations between the two nations.

Trump's renewed criticism of Russia stems from Medvedev's Monday social media post characterizing the US President's approach as "ultimatum games" that could escalate into direct US-Russian conflict. Medvedev warned that continued ultimatums represented steps toward war involving America rather than merely the Ukraine conflict.

The American President had previously expressed disappointment with Vladimir Putin's failure to conclude the Ukraine war, reducing his deadline for a peace settlement from 50 days to approximately 10-12 days.

Indian financial markets responded negatively to Trump's tariff announcement, with the Nifty 50 declining 0.61% and the BSE Sensex falling 0.64% during Thursday morning trading. All major sectors experienced losses, while small-cap and mid-cap indices dropped 0.6% and 0.9% respectively.

Despite the tariff threats, Trump indicated that trade negotiations with India remain ongoing, suggesting potential flexibility in the administration's approach to bilateral economic relations.