White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro has once again targeted India, accusing it of fueling Russia’s war economy through discounted oil purchases, while defending the newly imposed 50% tariffs on Indian imports.
Navarro, widely regarded as the chief architect of the tariff move under President Donald Trump, argued that the decision was not only about trade but also about curbing what he described as India’s role in extending a “financial lifeline” to Moscow.
“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,” Navarro wrote on X.
He alleged that American consumer dollars were indirectly funding Russian oil sales, as India buys discounted crude, refines it, and exports petroleum products globally. “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,” he said, while noting that Russian oil now accounts for over 30% of India’s imports, compared to less than 1% before the Ukraine war.
Navarro further claimed that India exports over one million barrels of refined petroleum daily, with the profits flowing to politically connected business houses and “directly into Putin’s war chest.” He criticized New Delhi for simultaneously imposing high tariffs on U.S. goods, demanding technology transfers, and purchasing Russian weapons.
“While the U.S. pays to arm Ukraine, India bankrolls Russia even as it slaps some of the world’s highest tariffs on American exports. 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 said.
However, analysts noted that Navarro’s criticism appeared one-sided, as he avoided mentioning China—the world’s largest buyer of Russian crude. His remarks also came just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted a 20% rise in U.S.-Russia trade since Trump’s return to office, underlining inconsistencies in the White House narrative.
Despite Navarro’s claims, the Trump-Putin Alaska Summit on August 16 ended without concrete outcomes, drawing criticism over Washington’s handling of peace negotiations.
Concluding his remarks, Navarro said the tariff was structured as 25% for unfair trade and 25% for national security, asserting: “If India 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.”
