White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro has sharply criticised India’s continued imports of Russian crude, urging New Delhi to “act like the world’s biggest democracy” and align with democratic nations rather than “authoritarians.”
Speaking to Bloomberg Television’s Balance of Power, Navarro argued that India’s energy trade with Moscow is indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine and adding pressure on Washington to bankroll Kyiv’s defence.
“The Indians are so arrogant about this. They say it’s our sovereignty, we can buy oil from anyone. India, you’re the biggest democracy in the world. Okay? Act like one. Side with the democracies,” Navarro said.
His remarks come as the Trump administration imposed sweeping tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, with 25% directly linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil and gas. New Delhi has slammed the move as “unjustified and unreasonable,” pointing out that many Western countries continue trade with Moscow in various forms.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar pushed back, recalling that the US itself had once urged India to buy Russian oil to stabilise global energy markets. He also stressed that China and the EU remain far larger buyers of Russian energy than India.
Navarro further criticised India’s ties with Beijing, warning against “getting in bed with authoritarians.” He referenced decades-long border tensions, including China’s occupation of Aksai Chin.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump defended the tariffs, accusing India of profiting from reselling Russian oil on the open market. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine,” he posted on social media.
The move, however, has drawn criticism in Washington. Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said targeting India while sparing bigger importers like China and Turkey undermines US interests.
“This is hurting Americans & sabotaging the US-India relationship. It’s almost like it’s not about Ukraine at all,” the committee wrote in a post.