Trump Shrugs Off India-Russia Ties, Slams Medvedev in Blunt Warning
In yet another blunt post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed concerns over deepening ties between India and Russia, calling their economic trajectory “dead” and declaring that he “doesn’t care” what direction their partnership takes. “They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” he wrote, with characteristic flair.
That phrasing—caustic, even by Trump standards—was paired with a familiar complaint: tariffs. Trump criticized India’s notoriously high import duties, calling them “among the highest in the world.” And in truth, there’s a kernel of economic frustration behind that. According to the World Trade Organization, India’s average applied tariff rate is nearly 18%, far above the global average of 7.6%.
That said, Trump’s broader claim that the U.S. has done “very little business with India” is a bit misleading. Bilateral trade between the U.S. and India hit a record $191 billion in 2023, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. So, “very little” may depend on your benchmark.
Russia: Old foe, new warning
The post then took a sharper geopolitical turn, zeroing in on Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian President and now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council. Trump referred to him as a “failed former President” and warned that Medvedev was “entering very dangerous territory.” What exactly prompted this warning isn’t entirely clear, though Medvedev has made increasingly hawkish statements in recent months regarding NATO and the U.S. role in Ukraine.
This isn’t the first time Trump has taken a swing at Russian leadership during his second term. But the rhetoric here suggests a growing tension—especially given that the U.S. and Russia, as Trump himself pointed out, “do almost no business together.” That’s true: U.S.-Russia trade fell to just $3.5 billion in 2023, a sharp decline due to sanctions and the broader fallout from the Ukraine invasion.
Strategic ambiguity—or just off-the-cuff?
To be honest, it’s hard to tell whether Trump’s latest post represents policy, posturing, or something in between. That’s often the case with his Truth Social statements—they come without briefing notes, caveats, or follow-ups. But they carry weight. Especially when the president tells an adversary to “watch his words.”
As India deepens energy and defense ties with Russia—still purchasing discounted oil despite U.S. pressure—it’s likely the White House is watching. Whether Trump’s “I don’t care” sentiment holds in policy meetings behind closed doors is another matter.
For now, it’s a mix of indifference and implied threat. A message, it seems, meant as much for New Delhi and Moscow as for the base watching back home.
