Former White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has launched a fresh attack on India, criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for engaging with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China on Monday.
Navarro described Modi’s meeting with Putin and Xi as “shameful,” accusing the Indian leader of aligning with authoritarian regimes. He argued that India’s future lies with the United States, Europe, and Ukraine, not Russia.
“It was a shame to see Modi, the leader of the world’s largest democracy, getting in bed with the two biggest authoritarian dictators—Putin and Xi Jinping. That doesn’t make any sense. We hope he comes around to realising that India needs us, Europe, and Ukraine, not Russia,” Navarro told reporters.
This is not Navarro’s first outburst. Recently, after Modi’s bilateral meeting with Xi in Tianjin, he had lashed out, claiming Indian elites were profiteering “at the expense of the Indian people” and urging New Delhi to stop purchasing discounted Russian crude oil.
The remarks come amid trade frictions between Washington and New Delhi, particularly over 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods and a 25 percent penalty linked to Russian oil imports.
At the SCO summit, however, Modi underscored India’s commitment to connectivity and growth, stating, “Strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust.”
Meanwhile, Putin hailed the SCO as a foundation for a “new Eurasian security system” to replace Eurocentric models, while Xi Jinping called on members to uphold fairness and justice.
