‘Road to peace in Russia-Ukraine conflict runs through New Delhi’: US trade adviser rules out relief from 50% tariffs for India

He went on to call India’s oil procurement strategy a “refining profiteering scheme,” arguing that the country had become a “laundromat for the Kremlin.” His remarks come as Washington aims to move ahead with a 50 per cent tariff, twice the baseline 25 per cent, on Indian goods linked to the country’s energy ties with Russia.

“They don’t need oil, it’s a refining profiteering scheme,” Navarro added. “They use 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… American taxpayers have to provide more aid… that’s insane.”

Referring to an article he wrote for Financial Times, he said: “Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India bought virtually no Russian oil… it was one percent of their needs. The argument now, when this percentage has gone up to 30-35 per cent, that somehow they need Russian oil, is nonsense.”

The comments come a day after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said that he was “very perplexed” by the additional 25 per cent US tariff on India over energy imports from Russia because “it was the Americans” who said “we should do everything to stabilise the world’s energy markets, including buying oil from Russia”.

“We are a country where actually the Americans said, for the last few years, that we should do everything to stabilise the world’s energy markets, including buying oil from Russia. We also buy oil from America, and that amount has been increasing. So quite honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument,” he during his visit to Moscow.

From the homepage

Mehli Mistry voted off Tata Trusts: The rise and exit of Ratan Tata’s trusted confidant

‘Watch your tone’: Bihar SHO suspended after CCTV footage shows him confronting brother, sister at eatery

Top doctor at UP govt hospital booked, suspended after ‘remarks on Yogi, state govt’