Navarro accuses India of financing Russia as tariffs strain US ties

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Sunday renewed a sharp public attack on India, accusing New Delhi of buying discounted Russian crude, refining it and selling fuel at a premium to finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine, and asserting that India’s elite were “profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.” Navarro made the remarks in an interview on Fox News as Washington’s dispute with New Delhi over trade and energy ties has intensified following the administration’s decision to impose steep tariffs on Indian imports.

Navarro defended the Trump administration’s 50 percent tariff package on Indian goods, saying the duty reflects a 25 percent reciprocal tariff for alleged unfair trade practices and an additional 25 percent specifically tied to India’s purchases of Russian oil. “Modi is a great leader. I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping,” Navarro said, criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping. He also called India “nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin” and said “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.”

Indian officials pushed back forcefully. Union...