Oil laundering’: Donald Trump’s trade czar paints India as villain in Russia-Ukraine war

Peter Navarro, who serves as Donald Trump’s trade czar, has unleashed a fierce and unrestrained critique of India for its purchases of Russian oil and military supplies. In an article for London’s Financial Times, Navarro expressed his frustration, stating, “As Russia continues to hammer Ukraine, aided by India’s financial support, American (and European) taxpayers are then forced to spend tens of billions more to help Ukraine’s defense.” He seemed to hold India responsible for financing the entire Russian war effort, lamenting that “more than 300,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed, while NATO’s eastern flank grows more exposed and the West foots the bill for India’s oil laundering.” Throughout his tirade, Navarro painted India as the antagonist in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, presenting a rather oversimplified view of global trade. He explained, “Here’s how the India-Russia oil mathematics works. American consumers buy Indian goods. India uses those dollars to buy discounted Russian crude. That Russian crude is refined and resold around the world by Indian profiteers in league with silent Russian partners – while Russia pockets hard currency to fund its war machine in Ukraine.” Navarro, who has long been a trade hardliner and is currently the White House counselor for trade and manufacturing, has consistently argued that the world takes advantage of low U.S. tariffs. During his time in government in the early days of the Trump administration, Elon Musk famously described him as “dumber than a sack of bricks.” In his article, Navarro also criticized India’s high tariffs, claiming they keep U.S. products out of the country. “India imposes some of the highest tariffs in the world, along with a dense web of non-tariff barriers that punish American workers and businesses. As a result, the U.S. runs a massive trade deficit with India – nearing $50 billion annually,” he wrote. Navarro, of course, conveniently overlooks the fact that the US is still purchasing substantial amounts of palladium from Russia, which is essential for electric vehicles, fertilizers, and uranium. Additionally, the European Union (EU) spent around $7 billion on LNG from Russia in 2024. In the first half of 2025, the EU imported about 8 million tonnes from Russia, marking an 8 percent decrease from the previous year. The Trump trade czar also neglected to mention that the US has been buying VGO, which is used in automobile oils, from India, potentially refined from Russian oil. Navarro took aim at India’s oil giants, declaring, “what really drives this trade is profiteering by India’s Big Oil lobby. Refining companies have transformed India into a massive refining hub for discounted Russian crude.” He also criticized India for its purchases of Russian arms, noting that approximately 36 percent of India’s imported weaponry comes from Russia. While he acknowledged that India is now acquiring more Western and US arms, he lamented that they “routinely demanded that US companies transfer sensitive military technology and build factories on Indian soil as a condition of sale.” This has become a standard requirement in Indian arms deals, but Navarro argues that it diminishes America’s profit margins. “That blunts any benefit to reducing America’s trade balance while it also risks transferring cutting-edge US military capabilities to an India now cozying up to both Russia and China.” Navarro fails to mention that India has been making efforts to strengthen ties with Western nations in recent years. Unsurprisingly, he places the blame on the Biden administration for allowing India to continue its Russian arms purchases and maintain connections with Russia. “The Biden administration largely looked the other way at this strategic and geopolitical madness. The Trump administration is confronting it.” What has triggered such a fierce attack on India, which was considered a US ally until recently, remains unclear. The Trump administration has faced criticism from its own community of strategic and defense analysts. Even former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has weighed in, pointing out that the Trump administration's approach to India leans too heavily on coercion instead of fostering a partnership. She remarked, “India needs a partner that respects its autonomy and invests in its rise. The US needs an ally that shares its long-term interests and democratic DNA.” TV host and columnist Fareed Zakaria took it a step further, questioning, “What’s the biggest strategic blunder of President Trump’s second term so far? It’s his shocking shift away from India.” Zakaria highlights the growing bond between the two nations over the past 25 years, spanning the administrations of George Bush Jr., Barack Obama, Trump’s first term, and now Biden’s. He emphasizes, “A strong relationship between Washington and New Delhi is crucial for curbing Chinese dominance in Asia and safeguarding American interests in the region.” On another note, India has pointed out that the US clearly signaled its approval for Indian oil imports from Russia. A clip that has circulated widely in recent weeks features former US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti acknowledging that if India weren’t importing oil from Russia and then re-exporting it, we could face a global crude shortage that would drive prices through the roof. Navarro bluntly states, “If India wants to be treated like a strategic partner of the US, it needs to start acting like one.” Described as a somewhat quirky advisor, the trade czar has pursued a singular focus throughout his career. He’s held a professorship at the University of California, Irvine, and earned his PhD from Harvard. Yet, he’s always had a particular obsession with trade. The Guardian has referred to him as “the intellectual driving force behind the global tariffs and trade war with China.” Where others have fallen by the wayside, Navarro still has his boss’s ear and is an unwavering presence in this administration. As for the US-India partnership, it’s not clear where that stands now. Trump had been scheduled to visit India for the Quad Summit. But there is no indication whether Trump will attend the summit.

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