WASHINGTON—Democratic members of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee have attacked President Donald Trump’s administration for putting tariffs on India. They say that this is not a good way to halt Russian President Vladimir Putin or end the crisis in Ukraine. The committee said on X (previously Twitter), “Tariffing India won’t stop Putin.” Trump could punish Putin and provide Ukraine the military help it needs if he genuinely intended to do something about Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. “Everything else is just smoke and mirrors.”
After an interview with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who indicated that if the tariffs on India for buying Russian oil don’t work, more “secondary tariffs” could be added. Bessent also said that Trump would make it plain to Putin that “all options are on the table” and that the US is ready to raise sanctions if they need to.
A Break with European Allies
Bessent also pointed out that European officials were not eager to back US requests for secondary measures. He talked about a G7 meeting when European leaders were unwilling to agree to high taxes on China, even though they talked about the necessity for a united front. The Secretary of the Treasury made it clear that he wanted European countries to join the US in its sanctions.
The Trump administration has used sanctions a lot to get what they want. Bessent stressed that punishments are “fluid and adjustable,” which means they can be raised or lowered as needed.