The longtime Trump aide said Indian refiners are cashing in while fuelling the war. “They don’t need oil — it’s a refining profiteering scheme,” he argued. Navarro mixed criticism with praise for India’s leadership, but pressed New Delhi to change course.
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro turned up the heat on India’s role in the Ukraine war, accusing New Delhi of refinery profiteering and dubbing it a “laundromat” (self-service laundry) for Russian oil.
“It’s nonsense that India needs Russian oil,” Navarro told reporters, warning that President Donald Trump is unlikely to extend the August 27 deadline for doubling tariffs on India as punishment for buying crude from Moscow.
NO EXTENSION FOR 50% TARIFFS ON INDIA
“Just six days from now, you see — I see that (the imposition of secondary tariffs on August 27) taking place. India doesn’t appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed. It simply doesn’t. It’s cosying up to Xi Jinping, that’s what it’s doing,” Navarro said.
The longtime Trump aide said Indian refiners are cashing in while fuelling the war. “They don’t need oil — it’s a refining profiteering scheme,” he argued.
“India uses the money that they get from us when they sell us stuff to buy Russian oil, which then is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there. But then the Russians use the money to build more arms and kill Ukrainians, and so American taxpayers have to provide more aid, military style, to the Ukrainians. So that’s insane,” he added.
Navarro mixed criticism with praise for India’s leadership, but pressed New Delhi to change course. “I love India. Look, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is a great leader. But please, please India, like, look at what your role here is in the global economy. What you’re doing right now is not creating peace, it’s perpetuating the war.”
“When you think about the tariffs we are putting in place 25% because they cheat us on trade, 25% because of the Russian oil, I ask you what is the net impact on Americans?” Navarro said.
INDIA IS ‘MAHARAJA’ IN TARIFFS, SAYS NAVARRO
“They have higher tariffs, Maharaja tariffs, higher non-tariff barriers. We run a massive trade deficit with them, so that hurts American workers, hurts American businesses. Then they use the money they get from us when they sell us stuff to buy Russian oil, which is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there,” he added.
Navarro quipped that the “road to peace runs through New Delhi” — urging the country to stop giving Moscow an economic lifeline.
The sharp remarks stressed Trump’s hard line on India’s energy trade with Russia, with Navarro insisting: “President Trump sees that chessboard beautifully. And you guys need to write about that.”
Navarro’s comments come as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded to criticism of India by American officials for its energy ties with Russia, and said the US itself had asked New Delhi to help stabilise global energy markets by buying Russian oil.
