Donald Trump has declared that Russia poses an "extraordinary threat" to the US as he enforces his first major sanctions against Vladimir Putin.
The US has imposed an additional 25 per cent trade tariff on India due to its continued purchases of Russian oil, raising the total levy to 50 per cent.
President Trump announced the measure through an executive order on Wednesday, following unsuccessful negotiations between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
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|Donald Trump has declared that Russia poses an "extraordinary threat" to the US as he enforces his first major sanctions against Vladimir Putin
The secondary tariff targets India's oil imports from Russia, which provide crucial revenue for Moscow's military operations in Ukraine.
Trump said he had "received additional information from various senior officials" regarding Russia's actions in Ukraine, prompting the economic measures against one of Russia's major oil customers.
The US leader has designated Russia as an "extraordinary threat" to American national security and foreign policy, marking a significant escalation in his administration's response to the Ukraine conflict.
The declaration came after Witkoff's fifth meeting with the Russian president failed to produce meaningful progress.
The President has issued an ultimatum to Putin, demanding agreement to a ceasefire by Friday or face additional economic penalties targeting Russia's trading partners.
"I determine that it is necessary and appropriate to impose an additional ad valorem duty on imports of articles of India, which is directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil," the President stated in his executive order.
The Moscow negotiations revealed a significant gap between Russian and American positions on ending the conflict.
Russian officials proposed a limited "air truce" that would halt missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, but this fell far short of Washington's requirements.
Trump had demanded an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to establish conditions for permanent peace negotiations.
Despite Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov characterising the discussions as "useful and constructive," the talks failed to bridge fundamental differences.
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|The US has imposed an additional 25 per cent trade tariff on India due to its continued purchases of Russian oil, raising the total levy to 50 per cent
Ushakov claimed that both sides had exchanged signals regarding Ukraine and that discussions covered strategic cooperation between the two nations.
Four European nations have committed to purchasing $1 billion worth of American weaponry for Ukraine, according to a programme established by Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
India and China remain the largest purchasers of Russian crude oil, with analysts noting these sales generate essential funding for Russia's military campaign.
Washington could potentially expand sanctions against Russia's "shadow fleet" of vessels that transport oil to New Delhi and Beijing.