Washington (TDI): White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has criticized India’s continued purchases of Russian crude, arguing that the practice directly funds Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine and must be brought to an end.
In an opinion column for the Financial Times, Navarro accused New Delhi of “cozying up to both Russia and China” while expecting to be treated as a strategic partner by Washington. “If India wants that status, it has to start behaving like one,” he wrote.
India has previously defended its energy dealings with Moscow, insisting it is being unfairly targeted when Western nations also maintain trade links with Russia. However, earlier this month President Donald Trump slapped an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, raising the total levy to 50 percent, citing New Delhi’s reliance on Russian oil.
“India has effectively become a global clearinghouse for Russian crude,” Navarro claimed, adding that the country refines sanctioned oil into high-value exports while providing Moscow with much-needed dollars.
Read More: Trump’s Tariffs Fuel Calls to Boycott US Goods in India
He also questioned whether the US should risk transferring advanced military technologies to India given its growing closeness with both Moscow and Beijing.
Meanwhile, relations between India and China, traditionally wary of one another, appear to be warming amid uncertainty over Trump’s approach to Asia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is due in New Delhi on Monday for talks on the long-standing border dispute.
Read More: India in Trump’s Crosshairs: President Threatens to Raise Tariffs Further
Against this backdrop, a planned visit by US trade negotiators to India, set for August 25–29, has been canceled, according to Reuters.
The move effectively delays discussions on a potential trade pact and dashes expectations in New Delhi of relief from Washington’s newly imposed tariffs.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
