‘India a Laundromat for Kremlin, Doesn’t Need Russian Oil’: Trump Adviser Navarro Turns Up Heat
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro has launched a blistering attack on India, accusing it of being a “laundromat” for Russian oil and engaging in “refinery profiteering” that fuels the Kremlin’s war machine in Ukraine. In some of the sharpest language yet from the Trump administration, Navarro dismissed New Delhi’s justifications for its energy trade with Moscow, stating bluntly, “It’s nonsense that India needs Russian oil.”
Speaking to reporters, the longtime Trump aide warned that President Donald Trump is unlikely to extend the August 27 deadline for doubling tariffs on Indian goods. “Just six days from now… I see that taking place,” Navarro said, adding, “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.” He argued that Indian refiners are simply cashing in on discounted Russian crude, creating a vicious cycle for American taxpayers. “They use the money that they get from us when they sell us stuff to buy Russian oil… the Russians use the money to build more arms and kill Ukrainians, and so American taxpayers have to provide more aid,” he explained.
While mixing criticism with some praise, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “great leader,” Navarro’s message was uncompromising. “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,” he urged. He quipped that the “road to peace runs through New Delhi,” pressing the country to cut its economic lifeline to Moscow.
Navarro’s comments come just as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has pushed back against US criticism, stating that Washington itself had previously asked New Delhi to buy Russian oil to help stabilize global energy markets. However, Navarro, who recently penned a similar critique in the Financial Times, made it clear that President Trump “sees that chessboard beautifully” and is firm in his position.
