White House adviser Peter Navarro has claimed that the Ukraine conflict is “Modi’s war,” alleging that India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian oil has fuelled Moscow’s aggression and burdened American taxpayers. He suggested India could secure a 25 per cent reduction in US tariffs if it halts Russian oil imports.
In an interview, Navarro said the path to peace “runs, in part, through New Delhi.” He argued that India’s oil trade with Moscow has prolonged the conflict and left US taxpayers footing the bill.
Navarro’s comments came as President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods came into effect on Wednesday, a punitive measure aimed at pressuring New Delhi over its energy ties with Russia despite repeated Western objections.
When asked whether Washington was negotiating with India on tariff adjustments, Navarro replied, “It’s really easy. India can get 25 per cent off tomorrow if it stops buying Russian oil and helps to feed the war machine.”
He went on to praise India’s leadership but expressed surprise at its stance. “I’m puzzled. Because Modi is a great leader. This is a matured democracy with matured people running it,” Navarro said.
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Yet, he accused New Delhi of arrogance on trade, adding, “What’s troubling to me is that the Indians are so arrogant about this. They say, ‘Oh, we don’t have higher tariffs. Oh, it’s our sovereignty. We can buy oil from anyone we want.’”
Navarro further alleged that India is directly contributing to Russia’s war effort. “By purchasing Russian oil at a discount, Russia uses the money it gets to fund its war machine to kill more Ukrainians,” he said. “Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing.”
He argued that India’s trade policies are costing the US economy dearly. “Consumers and businesses and everything lose, and workers lose because India’s high tariffs cost us jobs, and factories, and income and higher wages. And then the taxpayers lose because we have got to fund Modi’s war,” Navarro said. “I mean Modi’s war because the road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi.”
Just last week, Navarro accused New Delhi of refinery profiteering, dubbing it a “laundromat” for Russian oil. “India uses the money that they get from us when they sell us stuff to buy Russian oil, which then is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there.
But then the Russians use the money to build more arms and kill Ukrainians, and so American taxpayers have to provide more aid, military style, to the Ukrainians. So that’s insane,” he added.
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