Meloni and Modi Discuss Trade and Ukraine, No Mention of U.S. Tariffs

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, praising the strong relationship between their countries. During the call, Meloni did not address recent U.S. proposals for the European Union to impose tariffs as high as 100% on Indian imports.
Officials have indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump has encouraged the EU to apply new import duties on China and India as part of a broader effort to pressure Russia, which supplies oil to both countries.
In their conversation, Meloni and Modi highlighted the excellent state of their bilateral ties and expressed a mutual commitment to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, and connectivity, according to a statement from the Italian Prime Minister’s office. The statement did not refer to the U.S. tariff requests.
The leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine, expressing support for international efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire and restarting negotiations for a fair and lasting peace.
While Europe and the U.S. have largely avoided Russian oil since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India has taken advantage of discounted Russian crude to become its largest buyer. India has signalled it will continue purchasing Russian oil as long as it remains cost-effective, despite the imposition of heavy tariffs on Indian goods by the Trump administration.