Peter Navarro on India: 'India buys Russian oil using US dollars', then Trump's advisor told a big lie

Peter Navarro on India: Navarro claimed that Indian refiners buy cheap Russian oil and process it. Then export the fuel to Europe, Africa, and Asia. 

After calling the Russia-Ukraine conflict "Modi's war", US President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro has stepped up his attack on India. He claimed that US tariffs on New Delhi are not just about "unfair trade" but also about cutting Moscow's financial lifeline. He argued that the money from India's oil purchases goes straight to Russian President Vladimir Putin's war fund.

 

He posted a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wearing saffron clothes on Instagram and made a racist comment on him. Under the picture, he wrote, "The path to peace in Ukraine goes through New Delhi."

'India uses dollar to buy cheap Russian oil'

Explaining the India-Russia oil math, Trump's trade adviser said, "American consumers buy Indian goods, while India keeps out American exports through high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. India uses our dollar to buy discounted Russian crude oil."

Navarro said before Russia attacked Ukraine, Russian oil was less than 1 per cent of India's imports, and now it is more than 30 per cent, while New Delhi imports more than 1.5 million barrels of oil per day.

9/ The Biden admin largely looked the other way at this madness.

 

President Trump is confronting it.

 

A 50% tariff—25% for unfair trade and 25% for national security—is a direct response.

 

If India, the world's largest democracy, wants to be treated like a strategic partner of… pic.twitter.com/XAt6aa4JLA

— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) 

9/ The Biden admin largely looked the other way at this madness.

President Trump is confronting it.

A 50% tariff—25% for unfair trade and 25% for national security—is a direct response.

If India, the world's largest democracy, wants to be treated like a strategic partner of… pic.twitter.com/XAt6aa4JLA

— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) August 28, 2025

 

He claimed, "This boom is not driven by domestic demand. It is driven by Indian profiteers and is paying the additional price of bloodshed and destruction in Ukraine. India's oil lobby has turned the world's largest democracy into a giant refining centre and oil money laundering centre for the Kremlin."

Navarro said the situation changed in 2022

Navarro said historically India was not a major importer of Russian crude oil and was more dependent on the Middle East, but this situation changed in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine and the Group of Seven countries imposed a price ceiling of $ 60 a barrel to limit the Kremlin's oil revenue. US officials have acknowledged that India's ability to buy discounted goods was a feature of this arrangement. Navarro claimed that Indian refiners buy cheap Russian oil and process it. Then export fuel to Europe, Africa and Asia.