Washington: President Donald Trump threatened Monday to "substantially" hike US tariffs on Indian goods over its purchases of Russian oil, days before his steeper levies on dozens of economies are expected to take effect.

Posting on social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated, “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits.”

He criticised India’s oil trade practices amid the Ukraine conflict, asserting, “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”

Trump ended his message with a direct note: “Thank you for your attention to this matter!!! President DJT”

Last week, Trump mounted a sharp attack on India and Russia for their close ties and said that the two countries can take their "dead economies down together", a remark which prompted New Delhi to say that India is the world's fastest-growing major economy.

The White House announced last week that India will face tariffs of 25 per cent after Trump issued an executive order listing the various duties that Washington will impose on exports from countries around the world.

Declaring that the US has a massive trade deficit with India, Trump had said that while “India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the world, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any country.

"Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine — All things not good!” Trump had said. 

(with inputs from PTI and AFP)