Washington, D.C.: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has stirred controversy by calling the Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war,” accusing India’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil of bolstering Moscow’s military operations while burdening American taxpayers.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Navarro praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great leader” of a mature democracy but sharply criticized India’s trade policies. He highlighted India’s high tariffs and claimed U.S. citizens ultimately bear the financial consequences of New Delhi’s decisions.
“When India buys Russian oil at a discount, refines it, and resells it at a premium, Russia uses the proceeds to fund its war machine and kill more Ukrainians. Then Ukraine turns to us and Europe for more money. So everybody in America loses consumers, businesses, workers and taxpayers most of all, because we end up funding Modi’s war,” Navarro said.
As a potential solution, he suggested that the U.S. could cut tariffs on Indian goods by 25 percent if India halts imports of Russian crude. Navarro insisted that India’s current course strengthens Moscow and emphasized that “the road to peace runs in part through New Delhi.”
Navarro’s comments come amid rising tensions in U.S.-India relations. Washington recently doubled tariffs on Indian exports to 50 percent, citing trade imbalances and India’s energy ties with Russia. Negotiations have stalled, with both sides taking firm positions.
Indian officials have defended their energy imports as necessary for affordability and national interest, while noting that U.S. and European nations continue to purchase Russian-linked commodities, challenging the moral grounds of criticism.
