They Can Take Their Dead Economies Down Together: Donald Trump Slams India, Russia

US President Donald Trump on Thursday lashed out at India and Russia in a post, dismissing their trade relations and labelling their economies as "dead."

"I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care," Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the World."

He also targeted Russia, stating, "Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!"

Trump's remarks followed his announcement of a 25% tariff on Indian imports and penalties over India's trade and defense ties with Russia.

What Prompted Trump's Anger at Russia?

The outburst came after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused Trump of playing "the ultimatum game" with Russia, warning it could lead to war.

Medvedev wrote on X, "Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with (Trump's) own country."

Earlier, Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for not ending the Ukraine war, shortening his proposed peace deal deadline from 50 days to 10 or 12.

Indian Markets React to Trump's Tariff Threat

Indian stocks declined after Trump's announcement of new tariffs and penalties.

The Nifty 50 fell 0.61% to 24,703.1 points, and the BSE Sensex dropped 0.64% to 80,963.14 by 9:46 am. All major sectors saw losses, with small-caps and mid-caps down 0.6% and 0.9%, respectively.

The 25% tariff would hit India harder than other trade partners, potentially derailing months of negotiations. Despite the move, Trump said the US is still in trade talks with India.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on six Indian companies for their involvement in "significant" transactions involving Iranian petrochemical products. The US Department of State announced on Thursday that these measures as part of a broader effort to curb revenue streams that Iran uses to fund activities abroad and suppress its own population.

"The Iranian regime continues to fuel conflict in the Middle East to fund its destabilizing activities. Today, the United States is taking action to stem the flow of revenue that the regime uses to support terrorism abroad, as well as to oppress its own people," PTI quoted the Department of State as saying.