Trump’s Advisor Targets PM Modi In Financial Times Piece Over India's Russian Oil Purchase

In a Financial Times opinion piece, Peter Navarro, US President Donald Trump’s advisor for trade and manufacturing, has criticised India’s oil trade with Russia.

He argued that India’s purchases of discounted Russian crude, which is refined and then exported globally, indirectly provide financial support to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Navarro claimed that U.S. dollars spent on Indian goods are, in effect, funding this trade, framing it as a problem for American strategic and economic interests.

The article also discussed India’s defense ties with Russia, noting that a significant portion of India’s arms imports continues to come from Moscow.

Observers noted that Navarro appears to borrow from the rhetoric often used by India’s domestic opposition, which accuses Modi of favouring certain businesses and enabling profiteering.

Some analysts say Navarro’s direct targeting of the prime minister lends credence to the argument that there is a personal rift between Trump and Modi, and that any senior adviser in any US administration would be more cautious in framing this if that were not the case.