Russia and India ‘can take their dead economies down together’ – Trump

US President Donald Trump has said Moscow and New Delhi “can take their dead economies down together.” Trump announced 25% tariffs on India on Wednesday, plus penalties for the South Asian nation’s economic ties with Russia.

In a message posted late Wednesday on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote that the US has little trade with Russia and India.

”I don’t care what India does with Russia,” Trump said. “They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world.” 

In the 2024-25 fiscal year, bilateral trade between India and the US reached $131.8 billion, with a trade surplus of $41.18 billion for New Delhi, according to the Indian government. “Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together,” Trump added in the late night post.

Russia’s exports to the US in 2024 stood at $3.27 billion, according to the United Nations Comtrade database on international trade.

Trump also attacked former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, calling him “the failed former President of Russia who thinks he is still President.” Asking Medvedev to “watch his words,” Trump said, “He’s entering very dangerous territory.” 

Commenting on X on Trump’s recent ultimatum to Moscow to end the Ukraine conflict in ten days, Medvedev said Russia is not Israel or Iran. 

“Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war,” Medevdev said. “Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country. Don’t go down the Sleepy Joe road!”

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump said the tariffs on India were partly imposed because of its membership in BRICS, which he claimed is “basically a group of countries that is anti-United States.”