India has unexpectedly become a key target in Washington's latest push to pressure Russia over the Ukraine war. On Wednesday, Donald Trump doubled US tariffs on India to 50%, up from 25%, penalising Delhi for purchasing Russian oil - a move India called "unfair" and "unjustified".

US President Donald Trump’s additional tariffs on India will further damage the South Asian nation’s already slowing economy and shrink its gross domestic product by as much as a percentage point, analysts said.

Meanwhile, India's foreign ministry has hit out at what it calls U.S. hypocrisy in ignoring its own trade with Russia that has continued through the war in Ukraine, an allegation that Trump brushed aside but didn't deny. It's also important to note that Indian companies own stakes in many Russian oil fields.