Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, praised the “excellent” relations between the two countries but did not address Washington’s push for the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on Indian goods.
According to officials, U.S. President Donald Trump urged the European Union this week to hit China and India with new import duties as part of a strategy to put pressure on Russia, a key supplier of oil for the two nations.
Trump also encouraged the European Union to slap India with similarly expansive tariffs, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.
China and India are major purchasers of Russian oil and, as such, they play a vital role in keeping Russia’s economy afloat as it continues to pursue its expanded invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.
The U.S. request, if heeded, would result in a change of strategy for the EU, which has preferred to isolate Russia with sanctions rather than tariffs.
‘Excellent Bilateral Relations’
In their call, Meloni and Modi welcomed “the excellent state of bilateral relations” and reaffirmed a shared commitment to deepen cooperation on trade, investment and connectivity, the Italian premier’s office said in a statement.
The statement made no mention of Trump’s demands.
The two leaders also discussed Ukraine, saying they support “all international efforts to promote a ceasefire and a resumption of negotiations aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace”, the statement added.
As Europe and the U.S. have shunned Russian oil over Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has taken advantage of discounts on Russian output to become the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude.
India has made clear it would continue buying Russian oil as it proves economical, despite the Trump administration’s decision to impose heavy import tariffs on Indian goods.
(With inputs from Reuters)
