White House trade adviser Peter Navarro sparked controversy by calling the Ukraine conflict ‘Modi’s war’, accusing India of fueling Russia’s war machine through discounted oil purchases. He linked Trump’s 50% tariffs on India to this issue.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has sparked a major controversy by describing the Ukraine conflict as ‘Modi’s war’, claiming that India’s purchase of discounted Russian oil is helping to fuel Moscow’s military campaign. Navarro, who serves as President Donald Trump’s Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing, made the remarks during an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday. He directly linked Trump’s decision to impose crippling tariffs on India to New Delhi’s energy ties with Russia.
‘Road to peace runs through New Delhi’
“Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing,” Navarro said. “Consumers and businesses lose, workers lose because India’s high tariffs cost us jobs, factories, income and higher wages. Then taxpayers lose because we have to fund Modi’s war,” he added. When the host asked if he meant to say “Putin’s war,” Navarro doubled down: “No, I mean Modi’s war, because the road to peace runs, in part, right through New Delhi.”
Navarro argued that if India immediately stopped buying Russian oil, the additional 25% tariff recently imposed on Indian imports could be lifted. “India can get 25 per cent off tomorrow if it stops buying Russian oil and helping to feed their war machine,” he said.
Trump’s 50% tariff on India
US President Trump has steadily increased tariffs on India. Earlier this month, Washington imposed a 25% duty on Indian imports. On August 27, another 25% tariff took effect, bringing the total duties to 50%. The White House says the action is tied to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude despite Western sanctions. Navarro stressed that the tariffs could be reversed “real easy” if New Delhi shifts away from Moscow.
Navarro accuses India of reselling Russian oil
Navarro went further, accusing India of reselling Russian oil at a profit. “India buys Russian oil at a discount, then Indian refiners, in partnership with Russian refiners, sell it at a premium to the rest of the world. Russia uses the money to fund its war machine, kill more Ukrainians. Then Ukraine comes to the US and Europe and says, give us more money,” he alleged.
The remarks echo his earlier claim that India is “perpetuating the Ukraine war” by keeping Russia’s oil revenues alive.
Navarro’s strong words for India
The trade adviser criticized India for what he sees as a contradiction between being the world’s largest democracy and siding with “authoritarian powers.” “The Indians are so arrogant about this (oil purchase). They say we can buy oil from whoever we want. India, you’re the biggest democracy in the world. Act like one!” Navarro said.
He added: “India, you’re getting in bed with authoritarians. You were in a quiet war with them for decades. China invaded Aksai Chin and your territory. These are not your friends. And Russia? Come on!”
Despite his criticism, Navarro also described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “a great leader,” but said he was puzzled by India’s choices. “This is a mature democracy with intelligent people running it, and they look us bald-faced in the eye on the tariff part and say, ‘we don’t have the highest tariffs in the world,’ when in fact, they do,” Navarro claimed.
US House committee slams Trump’s India-only sanctions
Navarro’s comments come amid criticism at home. The House Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Democrats, said Trump’s decision to target India alone while sparing others like China makes little sense. “Instead of imposing sanctions on China or others purchasing larger amounts of Russian oil, Trump’s singling out India with tariffs, hurting Americans and sabotaging the US-India relationship in the process. It’s almost like it’s not about Ukraine at all,” the committee said in a post on X.
The committee noted that China, the largest importer of Russian energy, continues to buy oil at discounted rates without facing US tariffs of this scale.
India calls US tariffs ‘unjustified’
India has rejected the US duties, calling them ‘unjustified and unreasonable’. Indian officials have said that, like any major economy, the country will take all necessary steps to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
India has consistently argued that it purchases oil based on affordability and energy security needs. Officials also highlight that Europe continues to import Russian energy, albeit through different routes.
Navarro on China
In the same interview, Navarro said he was ‘so tired’ of strategies that ignore the role of China. “The reality is you have to stop India and China from buying Russian oil. You do that tomorrow, and the war is over,” he said. He added that if Europe also stopped purchasing Russian energy, Moscow would run out of funds to continue the war. “If everybody just stopped buying Russian oil, it’s only a matter of time before Putin doesn’t have the money to fund that war,” Navarro concluded.
Navarro’s branding of the Ukraine conflict as ‘Modi’s war’ is likely to add to the strain in US-India ties already stressed by tariffs and energy disagreements. India has yet to officially respond to his specific remarks, but the controversy underscores how Washington and New Delhi are increasingly at odds over Russia.
For now, Trump’s 50% tariff remains in force and Navarro has made clear that only a shift in India’s oil purchases could change that.
(With inputs from agencies)