White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has launched a fresh attack on India over its growing oil trade with Russia, accusing New Delhi of acting as a “laundromat for the Kremlin.” His comments come just days after he labelled India the “Maharaja of tariffs” while defending US President Donald Trump’s decision to double duties on Indian imports.
Speaking at a media interaction, Navarro argued that India’s crude oil purchases from Russia were negligible before the Ukraine war began in 2022 but now account for nearly 30–35% of its imports. “The argument now, when this percentage has gone up to 30-35%, that somehow they need Russian oil, is nonsense,” he said in a clip shared by C-Span. “India doesn’t appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed… It’s cosying up to Xi Jinping. They don’t need the oil.”
Navarro doubled down on his criticism, calling India’s oil trade with Moscow “a refining profiteering scheme” and “a laundromat for the Kremlin.” However, he also tempered his remarks, saying: “I love India. Modi is a great leader, but please, India, look at your role in the global economy. What you’re doing right now is not creating peace. It’s perpetuating the war.”
His attack comes ahead of Trump’s August 27 deadline to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods. Last month, Trump announced 25% duties, which were later doubled, with the first half already in effect and the remainder set to kick in this week.
“In India, 25% tariffs were put in place because they cheat us on trade. Then 25% because of the Russian oil… They have higher tariffs, Maharaja tariffs,” Navarro said, adding that the U.S. runs a “massive trade deficit” with India that hurts American businesses.
He further alleged that the revenue India earns from trade with the U.S. is diverted to Russia for oil purchases. “That money is used by Moscow to build more arms and kill Ukrainians,” he claimed. “Meanwhile, American taxpayer money goes into providing more military aid to Ukraine. That’s insane, and President Trump sees that chessboard beautifully. In many ways, the road to peace runs through New Delhi.”
This is not Navarro’s first swipe at India over its Russia policy. Writing in the Financial Times earlier this month, he described India’s oil trade with Moscow as both “opportunistic” and “corrosive” to global efforts aimed at isolating Russia’s economy.
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