White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro has stirred controversy by describing the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “PM Modi’s war,” blaming India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian crude for fueling the crisis.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Navarro argued that India’s energy trade with Moscow was burdening American taxpayers and businesses.
“Ukraine comes to us and Europe and says give us more money. Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing. Consumers, workers, businesses—everyone suffers. And the taxpayer loses because we have to fund Modi’s war,” Navarro said. He added that “the road to peace runs at least partly through New Delhi.”
Navarro accused India of “arrogance” in defending its sovereign right to secure energy supplies and urged New Delhi to “side with democracies” instead of deepening ties with Russia and China, whom he called “authoritarians.”
His remarks come just as the Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods took effect, with 25% of those duties linked directly to India’s continued energy imports from Russia.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the charge, calling Washington’s move “extremely unfortunate.”
“Our imports are based on market factors and the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India. Several other countries continue similar purchases; therefore, targeting India is unjustified,” the MEA said.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also countered US criticism, pointing out that China remains the largest buyer of Russian oil while the EU is the biggest importer of LNG. He further noted that the US itself had encouraged India to help stabilize global energy markets, including through Russian supplies.
Navarro’s comments have drawn sharp criticism not just in India but also within the US. Prominent economist Jeffrey Sachs slammed the tariffs as “bizarre” and “self-destructive,” warning they risk undermining years of progress in US-India relations. Similarly, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called India a “prized democratic partner” and cautioned that damaging bilateral ties would be a “strategic disaster.”
Haley urged former President Donald Trump to engage directly with Prime Minister Modi to prevent further deterioration, saying: “The sooner the better.”
