Saturday, March 29, 2025
Washington, August 22, 2025 – Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, has launched a sharp attack on India over its continued imports of Russian oil, accusing New Delhi of acting as a “laundromat” for Moscow. Navarro argued that India is using profits from trade with the United States to buy discounted Russian crude, indirectly strengthening Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
Speaking to journalists at the White House, Navarro dismissed India’s justification that Russian oil is essential for its economy. “It’s nonsense to say India needs Russian oil to run its domestic economy. Before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India bought almost no oil from Moscow. But once the war began, those purchases suddenly skyrocketed,” he claimed.
Navarro alleged that Indian refiners, in collusion with Russian suppliers, buy crude at heavy discounts, refine it, and then sell petroleum products at higher prices in Africa, Asia, and Europe. “This entire process is helping to finance Moscow’s war machine. More than a million barrels a day are moving through this system,” he told Fox News.
The trade adviser further warned that beginning August 27, U.S. tariffs on Indian goods would be raised from 25% to 50%. “India seems unwilling to accept its share of responsibility, and therefore we have no choice but to take tough action,” Navarro said.
While he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great leader,” Navarro pressed him to reconsider India’s economic alignment with Russia and China. He labeled India the “Maharaja of Tariffs,” accusing it of unfair trade practices and “stealing American jobs.”
When asked why Washington is not applying the same pressure on Beijing, which imports far more Russian oil, Navarro pointed out that the U.S. already maintains 50% tariffs on Chinese goods. However, he did not clarify whether Chinese oil purchases factored into that policy.
Navarro emphasized India’s pivotal role in global stability, repeating his earlier claim: “The road to peace runs through New Delhi.” According to him, India’s economic decisions are not just about trade but about the future of war and peace.
India has rejected such accusations, with the Ministry of External Affairs stating that its oil purchases are market-driven and aimed at ensuring energy security for 1.4 billion citizens. New Delhi has also pointed out that both the U.S. and European Union continue trading with Russia, making it unfair to single out India.
Amid the escalating dispute, trade talks scheduled between the U.S. and India from August 25–29 in New Delhi have been canceled, dashing hopes of avoiding new tariff hikes.
During a joint press conference in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made clear that India is neither the largest buyer of Russian oil nor the country that has seen the sharpest rise in trade with Moscow since 2022.
“We are not the biggest buyers of Russian oil—that’s China. We are not the largest purchasers of Russian LNG either—I believe that’s the European Union. And we are not the country where Russia’s trade has seen the sharpest increase since 2022,” Jaishankar said.
He noted that the U.S. itself has encouraged India to help stabilize global energy markets. “Ironically, American officials in recent years have told us that we should do everything possible to stabilize energy supplies, including purchasing oil from Russia. Incidentally, we also buy oil from the United States, and those volumes are increasing,” he added.
Asked about Navarro’s criticism, Jaishankar declined to comment directly on the White House adviser but reiterated India’s position that its oil purchases are based on national interest and market realities.
