Volodymyr Zelenskyy thinks Trump's punitive tariffs on India is 'right idea'

Even as India has been advocating dialogue, diplomacy, and a swift, peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has voiced support for the whopping  50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods imposed by US President Donald Trump, calling it "the right idea"

 

"I think the idea to put tariffs on the country...continuing to make deals with Russia is the right idea," the Ukrainian President said during an interview with ABC News.

 

Zelensky said this when asked about the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

 

"We have to stop (buying) any kind of energy from Russia, and by the way, anything, any deals with Russia. We can't have any deals if we want to stop them,” he was quoted as saying.

 

It is to be noted that Zelenskyy dialled Modi on Saturday, two days before Modi's meeting with the Russian president. After the phone conversation with the PM, Zelenskyy said India is ready to make the necessary efforts and to deliver the appropriate signal to Russia.

 

India has been consistently calling for ending the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

 

The remarks come even President Trump appeared conciliatory recently, describing India-US relationship, which saw a major downturn after the US doubled tariffs on Indian goods, as "special" and that he will always be "friends" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

Hailing Modi a great prime minister, Trump had said he just does not like what the former is doing at this particular moment. He, howver, added that there is nothing to worry about the India- US relationship.

 

Reacting to the remarks of Trump, Modi had said he deeply appreciates and  fully reciprocate President Trump's sentiments and positive assessment of our ties.

 

 

World