Washington (TOI): The Trump administration on Thursday asserted that India plays a central role in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, even as it pressed ahead with tariffs and sanctions against New Delhi.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told reporters that President Trump would not extend the August 27 deadline for doubling tariffs on India, imposed as a penalty for purchasing Russian oil. He accused New Delhi of “profiteering” from refining Russian crude, which he argued was indirectly financing Moscow’s war.
“I love India. Prime Minister Modi is a great leader. But India must recognize its responsibility in the global economy,” Navarro said. “This isn’t creating peace, it’s perpetuating war. They don’t need oil — it’s a refining profiteering scheme.”
Navarro claimed India uses revenues from exports to the US to buy Russian oil, refine it, and resell it at a profit, while Moscow channels the earnings into arms production. “That’s insane,” he said. “President Trump sees that chessboard clearly, and the media needs to report it.”
The stance has drawn skepticism from US commentators, who note Washington’s silence on China’s far larger Russian oil imports. Analysts also highlight past US encouragement for India to buy Russian oil as a way to stabilize global prices — a contradiction Navarro has previously admitted, conceding that Beijing’s leverage prevents Washington from acting against it.
