Trump's Top Advisor Peter Navarro Brands Ukraine Conflict As ‘Modi’s War’

US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro has launched a scathing attack on India, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fuelling Russia’s war in Ukraine through discounted crude purchases and “double game” trade policies.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Navarro claimed India’s actions amounted to “Modi’s war”.

“If India stops buying Russian oil, it can get 25 per cent off tomorrow,” he said.

“What’s troubling to me is that Modi is a great leader, India is a mature democracy, and yet they look us bald-faced in the eye and say they don’t have the highest tariffs in the world, when in fact they do. Then they say we’re not going to stop buying Russian oil," he said.

Navarro further alleged that Indian refiners were profiting from cheap Russian crude. “When India buys Russian oil at a discount and then Indian refiners, in partnership with Russian refiners, sell it at a premium to the rest of the world, everybody in America loses,” he said. “The road to peace runs at least partly through New Delhi’s war. I mean, Modi war.”

Dismissing India’s sovereignty claims, he added: “India, you’re the biggest democracy in the world. Act like one. Side with the democracies. You’re getting in bed with the authoritarians. China invaded Aksai Chin and all your territory. These are not your friends, folks.”

Defending Washington’s new 50% tariff on Indian goods, Navarro said: “In India, 25 per cent tariffs were put in place because they cheat us on trade. Then 25 per cent because of the Russian oil… That’s insane.”

India pushed back strongly. External affairs minister S Jaishankar said it was “perplexing” to target India when China and the EU remain Russia’s largest buyers. He called the tariffs “extremely unfortunate” and vowed to “take all actions necessary to protect national interests.”