India’s top security advisor arrives in Moscow amid tariffs threat by US

ISTANBUL

New Delhi’s top security advisor arrived in Russia’s capital Moscow as US President Donald Trump threatened to impose higher tariffs on the country over its purchase of Russian oil, Indian media reported on Wednesday.

The daily Hindu reported that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval traveled to the Russian capital overnight Tuesday, where he will meet with senior Russian officials to discuss bilateral defense and security cooperation, as well as oil sanctions and an upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Doval’s arrival in Moscow marks his first foreign visit since recent hostilities between India and Pakistan in May, sparked by an April 22 attack in the Indian-administered Kashmir, where unidentified gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists, at the Pahalgam tourist site.​​​​​​​

New Delhi said the attack had "cross-border links," but Islamabad denied the claims and offered a neutral probe.

It led to an exchange of blame and denials, eventually escalating to retaliatory air strikes and drone attacks. Tensions eased after US President Donald Trump announced a May 10 ceasefire, which remains in effect.

A day earlier, the Russian state news agency Tass reported that Doval’s visit will include discussions on the strategic partnership between the two countries and cooperation in the defense and security spheres, citing an Indian source.

“The current aggravation of the geopolitical situation will also make adjustments to the agenda. Such topical issues as the supply of Russian oil (to India) will be discussed,” the report further quoted the source as saying.

The visit takes place as Trump said in an interview with the broadcaster CNBC on Tuesday that he would “very substantially” raise tariffs on India within 24 hours, accusing New Delhi of profiting from the resale of Russian oil.

The US president initially announced the tariff hike on Sunday in a post on Truth Social, in response to which Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said Monday that the US encouraged such imports by India at the start of the ongoing Ukraine war, with the aim of “strengthening global energy markets stability.”

“India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict,” said the corresponding statement released by the ministry, defining New Delhi’s targeting as “unjustified and unreasonable.”