'Made India pay for Putin's butchery': Ex-UK PM Boris Johnson backs Trump's additional tariff; lauds US president for 'brave' move

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday publicly endorsed Donald Trump’s decision to impose additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, accusing India of "funding Putin’s vicious war machine" through continued Russian oil purchases. “Donald Trump has done the brave, principled and logical thing—finally punishing the countries that have been funding Putin’s butchery,” Johnson posted on X. “When will Britain and the rest of Europe have the guts to do the same?”Taking a swipe at European leaders, he added: “Europeans love to whinge about Trump and claim he is soft on Russia. But after three years, it is Donald J. Trump who has finally made India pay a price. What is the view of the British prime minister, for instance?"

The former PM’s remarks come just days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited London to sign a landmark free trade agreement with current British PM Keir Starmer. Trump’s latest executive order adds an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, atop the 25 per cent already announced last week—bringing the total tariff rate to 50%. The first tranche comes into effect from August 7, while the additional duty will be implemented 21 days later. India now joins Brazil as the highest-tariffed nation in the US market under the revised structure.The ministry of external affairs (MEA) called the move “extremely unfortunate” and emphasised that New Delhi would “continue to protect its national interests.” In a strongly worded response, the MEA said: “It is extremely unfortunate that the US should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest.”