Former U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking at a White House press conference, stated that American tariffs imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil have delivered a significant blow to Russia’s struggling economy. Referring to India as Russia’s “largest or second largest oil buyer,” Trump highlighted the impact of U.S. tariffs on Moscow’s financial stability amid ongoing global pressures.

“Russia has tremendous potential, but right now their economy is not doing well. It has been severely disrupted,” Trump said. He attributed this disruption largely to the tariffs, emphasizing, “It doesn’t help when the President of the United States tells their largest or second-largest oil buyer that we’re putting a 50% tariff on you if you buy oil from Russia. That was a big blow.”

The tariffs Trump referenced include a 25 percent reciprocal tariff imposed on India alongside an additional 25 percent duty specifically on Russian oil imports, bringing the total levy to 50 percent.

Looking ahead, Trump is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday, anticipating “constructive conversations.” He expressed appreciation that Putin will be visiting the U.S. for the talks instead of the other way around.

Trump also outlined plans for a potential meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin, saying, “The next meeting will be with Zelenskyy and Putin, or Zelenskyy and Putin and me. I’ll be there if they need.”

Touching on his record, Trump claimed to have resolved five conflicts during his tenure and reiterated his assertion that he played a role in ending hostilities between India and Pakistan. “We solved five wars. Pakistan and India, we just solved one,” he said, also referencing the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

On U.S.-China relations, Trump expressed optimism, noting, “We’ve been dealing very nicely with China… They have tremendous tariffs that they’re paying to the United States of America. The relationship is very good with President Xi and myself.”