‘Brahmins Profiteering…’: Trump Advisor Peter Navarro’s Shocker On India’s Russian Oil Purchases

Last Updated:September 01, 2025, 07:54 IST

In an interview, Navarro questioned PM Modi’s engagement with Russia and China, despite leading what he described as “the biggest democracy in the world.”

White House trade advisor Peter Navarro (Image: Reuters)

White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has again criticised India’s purchase of Russian oil, accusing sections of profiteering at the expense of ordinary citizens.

In an interview with Fox News, Navarro questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagement with Russia and China, despite leading what he described as “the biggest democracy in the world.”

“Modi is a great leader, I don’t understand why he is getting in bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he is the biggest democracy in the world. So I would simply say to the people of India, please understand what is going on here. You’ve got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of India’s people, and we need that to stop,” Navarro said.

He argued that before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, India’s oil imports from Moscow were minimal. Since then, however, India has significantly increased its intake, refining Russian crude and re-exporting it at a premium to Africa, Europe, and Asia. Navarro alleged that this trade “fuels Russia’s war machine.”

Citing tariffs, Navarro noted, “We have a 50 per cent tariff now on India. We also have a little more than 50 per cent on China, so the question is how much higher do you want to go with that actually. But let’s talk about India — because the only thing that we have to know is that before Putin invaded in February 2022, India bought Russian oil in very, very small amounts.”

He went on to describe India as the “Maharaja of tariff,” linking the country’s trade policies and discounted Russian crude to what he sees as a global challenge in containing Moscow’s war financing.

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Abhro Banerjee

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ…Read More

Covering day-to-day national and international news for the last nine years across print and digital. Associated with News18.com as Chief Sub-Editor since 2022, covering innumerable big and small events, includ… Read More

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