US Vice President JD Vance said he is confident that America could facilitate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, as the Trump administration has already achieved “significant concessions from both sides” over the past weeks.

The US has been using “aggressive economic leverage” on countries, including India, as Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on goods imported from New Delhi to pressure Moscow to stop its attacks on Ukraine. Vance further added that despite the issues that came following Trump’s recent meeting with Putin, the Trump team is committed to exerting more pressure until US Russia trade policy.

“President Trump has used tough economic tools, including secondary JD Vance India tariffs, to make it more difficult for Russia to profit from its oil-driven economy,” Vance told NBC News’ Meet the Press.

“We believe Russia could be reintegrated into the global economy if it stops the bloodshed. But if the violence continues, they will remain isolated,” he added.

Trump tariffs on India Heightens Tensions

Trump’s tariff move has caused a fissure between Washington and New Delhi, especially after the US began publicly castigating India for buying Russian crude oil at a steep discount. Criticisms that Trump has not reserved for China or Europe, both of which buy more Russian energy than India.

The US has said that India’s oil purchases are indirectly funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine. New Delhi, however, has strongly denied the allegations and said its energy purchasing decisions are guided by national interest and market forces.

Moscow has been selling discounted oil to New Delhi since Western nations imposed JD Vance Russia sanctions and ceased buying its energy in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who addressed the U.S. criticism of India’s oil imports on Saturday at an event in New Delhi, said at the time: “It’s ironic that people working for a pro-business American administration are accusing others of doing business.”