Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that imports from India will face 25% tariffs. He justified the move as a "penalty" for New Delhi's purchases of Russian weapons and energy.

"Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers," Trump said on Truth Social.

"Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE."

"India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25%, plus a penalty for the above," Trump said in all-caps. In a separate post, Trump declared that the US has a "massive" trade deficit with India.

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Trump did not specify what the specific penalty he referred to for Russia trade will be, but the 25% tariff rate on India will kick off on August 1, 2025.

India, the world's most populous country, was one of the first few major economies to engage Washington in broader trade talks following the April 2 "Liberation Day" tariff announcement.

But six months later, Trump's sweeping demands and India's reluctance to fully open its agricultural and dairy sectors have so far prevented New Delhi from sealing a deal that would shield it from punitive tariffs.

As a result, the announced levies will mark a huge leap from the current 10% baseline tariff on Indian shipments to the US.