‘India needs to be with us, not Russia’: Peter Navarro after Putin-Modi meet at SCO summit

Washington, DC: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has again criticised India, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China on Monday.

Speaking to reporters, Navarro described the meeting as “shameful,” accusing Modi of aligning with authoritarian leaders.

“It was a shame to see Modi getting in bed as a leader of the biggest democracy in the world with the two biggest authoritarian dictators in the world — Putin and Xi Jinping. That doesn’t make any sense. I am not sure what he’s thinking. We hope he comes around to seeing that he needs to be with us, Europe and Ukraine, not Russia,” Navarro said.

Navarro also urged India to stop purchasing discounted crude oil from Moscow, stressing that New Delhi needs stronger alignment with the United States and its allies.

His remarks follow an earlier outburst shortly after Modi’s bilateral meeting with Xi in Tianjin on the SCO sidelines.

“So, you know, look, Modi’s a great leader... But I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping... when he’s the leader of the biggest democracy in the world. I would just simply say to the Indian people: Please, understand what’s going on here. You’ve got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop,” he said.

Navarro’s comments come amid rising friction between Washington and New Delhi over U.S. tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% penalty tied to India’s Russian oil purchases.

PM Modi, in his address at SCO, stressed the need to boost connectivity between the members to boost trade.

"India has always believed that strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust," Modi said.

Russian President Putin said that dialogue within the SCO helps lay the foundation for a new Eurasian security system, replacing outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models.

"The SCO is steadily increasing its influence in addressing international issues. National currencies are being used more widely in mutual settlements for trade among SCO countries. The pace of development of cooperation within the SCO is impressive," said Putin.

Additionally, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to uphold fairness and justice while addressing the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO. (ANI)