Washington: Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing at the White House, Peter Navarro, has once again made sharp accusations against India, condemning it for profiting from Russian oil amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Navarro, who played a significant role in driving the 50 per cent tariffs imposed on Indian imports, accused India of engaging in unfair trade practices targeted by these tariffs.

In a post on X, Navarro stated, "President Trump's 50% tariffs on Indian imports are now in effect. This isn't just about India's unfair trade--it's about cutting off the financial lifeline India has extended to Putin's war machine." He elaborated on the dynamics, stating, "Here's how the India-Russia oil mathematics works: American consumers buy Indian goods while India keeps out U.S. exports through high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. India uses our dollars to buy discounted Russian crude. Indian refiners, with their silent Russian partners, refine and flip the black-market oil for big profits on the international market - while Russia pockets hard currency to fund its war on Ukraine."

Navarro criticised India for substantially increasing its Russian oil imports since the Ukraine invasion, claiming, "Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian oil made up less than 1% of India's imports. Today? Over 30%--more than 1.5 million barrels a day. This surge isn't driven by domestic demand--it's driven by Indian profiteers and carries an added price of blood and devastation in Ukraine. India's Big Oil lobby has turned the largest democracy in the world into a massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin. Indian refiners buy cheap Russian oil, process it, and export fuels to Europe, Africa, and Asia--shielded from sanctions under the pretence of neutrality."

While making these claims, Navarro notably omitted mention of China, which is the largest importer of Russian oil.

He further accused India of imposing high tariffs on the U.S. and enriching Russia's war efforts: "India now exports over 1 million barrels a day in refined petroleum--more than half the volume of Russian crude it imports. The proceeds flow to India's politically connected energy titans--and directly into Putin's war chest. While the United States pays to arm Ukraine, India bankrolls Russia even as it slaps some of the world's highest tariffs on U.S. goods, which in turn punishes American exporters. We run a $50-billion trade deficit with India--and they're using our dollars to buy Russian oil. They make a killing and Ukrainians die."

Navarro's remarks stand in contrast to comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference in Alaska with Trump on August 16, where Putin noted, "Incidentally, when the new administration came to power, bilateral trade started to grow. It's still very symbolic. Still, we have a growth of 20%. As I've said, we have a lot of dimensions for joint work. It is clear that the US and Russian investment and business cooperation has tremendous potential."

Navarro also accused India of continuing to purchase Russian weapons while demanding sensitive U.S. military technology transfers and manufacturing plants in India. He added, "It doesn't stop there. India continues to buy Russian weapons--while demanding that U.S. firms transfer sensitive military tech and build plants in India. That's strategic freeloading. The Biden admin largely looked the other way at this madness. President Trump is confronting it. A 50% tariff--25% for unfair trade and 25% for national security--is a direct response. If India, the world's largest democracy, wants to be treated like a strategic partner of the U.S., it needs to act like one. The road to peace in Ukraine runs through New Delhi."

However, Navarro’s critique fails to acknowledge that the Alaska Summit between Trump and Putin did not reach any conclusions, with subsequent White House comments blaming the media for allegedly undermining peace efforts. Additionally, the Trump administration has not publicly addressed the fact that China imports more Russian oil than India and has not imposed similar tariffs on it.

With inputs from ANI