Peter Navarro slams India-Russia ties: ‘Modi needs to stand with US, not Russia’
Navarro earlier branded India the 'Maharaja of tariffs', alleging that New Delhi imposes some of the steepest tariffs among major economies while refusing to acknowledge it
American economist and US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, intensified his criticism of India’s ties with Russia, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit a “shame.”
Earlier, Navarro had branded India the “Maharaja of tariffs,” alleging that New Delhi imposes some of the steepest tariffs among major economies while refusing to acknowledge it.
Also Read: Trump aide Peter Navarro claims India's 'Brahmins profiteering' from Russian oil trade
Dig at Modi-Xi-Putin meet
“It is a shame to see [PM] Modi aligning with Xi Jinping and Putin. I don’t know what he’s thinking. We hope he realizes he needs to stand with us, not Russia,” Navarro remarked.
His comments came a day after Modi’s visit to China for the SCO summit, where he held talks with Putin and Xi.
Since Trump announced steep tariffs on India, Navarro has repeatedly attacked New Delhi for continuing crude imports from Moscow, arguing that the revenues help finance Putin’s war in Ukraine.
'Maharaja of tariffs'
Navarro had previously called India the "Maharaja of tariffs," stating that India's tariffs are among the highest globally and that New Delhi refuses to acknowledge it
"There's a two-prong problem with India...Twenty-five per cent is reciprocal - because of unfair trade - and the other 25 per cent is because India is buying oil from Russia," Navarro said.
"They are in denial about that...They try to tell everybody that it's not true - and it is demonstrably true," he added
Further escalating his attack against India, Navarro even invoked caste dynamics, accusing “Brahmins of profiteering at the expense of ordinary Indians” through discounted Russian oil purchases.
Also Read: Who is Peter Navarro? Why is he angry with India, and rest of the world?
Laundromat for Kremlin
He further alleged that India acts as a “laundromat for the Kremlin,” alleging that Indian refiners were buying cheap Russian crude, processing it, and re-exporting it at a premium profit.
“It kills Ukrainians...And what do we have to do as taxpayers? We've got to send them more money,” Navarro argued.
He also defended Trump’s punitive tariffs on Indian exports, claiming New Delhi’s closeness to Moscow and Beijing undermines global stability.
Also Read: Peter Navarro slams India over Russian oil purchase, trade tariffs
India’s stand
India has defended its Russian oil purchases, insisting they are necessary to keep energy prices low and stabilise its domestic market, and has dismissed US measures as “unjustified.”
India remains the only major economy targeted by Trump’s “secondary tariffs,” despite China also being a major buyer of Russian crude.
While India historically sourced oil primarily from the Middle East, its imports from Russia surged after the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The G7 imposed a $60-per-barrel price cap to restrict Moscow’s oil revenues while ensuring that supplies continued to flow globally.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs noted that Washington initially “actively encouraged” Indian imports of Russian oil "for strengthening global energy market stability."