White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro has sharply criticised India’s energy trade with Russia, accusing New Delhi of fuelling the Ukraine war through refinery profiteering. He warned that President Donald Trump is unlikely to extend the August 27 deadline for doubling tariffs on India.
“It’s nonsense that India needs Russian oil,” Navarro told reporters, cautioning that secondary tariffs are imminent. “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 argued that Indian refiners are making profits while indirectly supporting Russia’s war efforts. “They don’t need oil — it’s a refining profiteering scheme,” he said.
India’s Role in Global Energy Trade
Explaining his criticism, Navarro added: “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.”
White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro on India:
“Nonsense that India needs Russian Oil”
“Profiteering by Indian refiners”
“India has Maharaja tariffs”
“Road to peace runs thru New Delhi” pic.twitter.com/w64a9nRg2P
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) August 21, 2025
Despite his sharp remarks, Navarro also praised India’s leadership while urging a change of 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.”
He also stressed the tariff burden on American businesses: “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?”
India Called ‘Maharaja’ in Tariffs
Navarro accused India of unfair trade practices while maintaining high barriers. “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 said.
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He concluded with a direct message for New Delhi: “The road to peace runs through New Delhi.”
Navarro insisted that President Trump views the issue with clarity. “President Trump sees that chessboard beautifully. And you guys need to write about that,” he said.
His latest remarks follow an earlier article he wrote in the Financial Times where he argued that India’s justification for importing Russian oil to meet energy needs “does not make any sense.”
