US President Donald Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro, has expressed shock over India’s bold stance defying US demands to restrict purchases of Russian oil. US president Donald Trump doubled levies on Indian goods to 50 pc on Wednesday in an effort to coerce New Delhi from further Russian imports.
These tariffs apply to more than 50 pc of India’s total exports to the United States. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for increased self-reliance and stated that India is willing to bear the brunt of these levies.
In a televised speech on August 15, Modi said he will personally protect the interests of the Indian farmers, marginalised and poor, by bearing the tariff duties.
Meanwhile, Navarro said, “What’s troubling to me is that the Indians are so arrogant about this. They say, ‘Oh, it’s our sovereignty; we can buy oil from anyone when we want.”
Also Read: Navarro calls Ukraine crisis Modi’s war
He said, “I’m puzzled, ok? Modi’s a great leader... this is a mature democracy with intelligent people running it, and they look us boldfaced in the eye... they say: ‘we’re not going to stop buying Russian oil,’” he added.
India can easily avoid the additional 25 per cent tax tomorrow if it stops buying Russian oil. Navarro accused India of indirectly funding the Ukraine war, as it doubled the imports of Russian oil in recent months. He said, “This is complicating not only the US’s situation in the Ukraine war but also that of the EU nations.”
The presidential aide went on to call the Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war”, arguing that “the road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi.” Last week, Navarro labelled India a “Laundromat for the Kremlin”. Responding to criticism of Russian oil purchases, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said last week that nations buy refined petroleum products from India of their own free will.
Also Read: Trump adviser issues blunt trade warning to India
Follow us
