Trump aide Navarro again targets New Delhi on tariffs, Russian oil: ‘India can’t handle truth’’

Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing in the Trump administration, claimed that India’s “highest tariffs” hurt American workers.

By: Express Web Desk

Updated: September 6, 2025 04:23 PM IST

3 min read

Earlier, a day after the US raised tariffs on Indian products to 50 per cent, Navarro described the Russia-Ukraine war as “Modi’s war”. (Reuters photo)

Peter Navarro, Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing in the Trump administration, has criticised India’s trade and energy practices in a sharp post on X. In his post, Navarro claimed that India’s “highest tariffs” hurt American workers, while also accusing New Delhi of continuing to purchase Russian oil for profit.

“India highest tariffs costs US jobs. India buys Russian oil purely to profit/Revenues feed Russia war machine.” he wrote. “Ukrainians/Russians die. US taxpayers shell out more,” he added.

Earlier, a day after the US raised tariffs on Indian products to 50 per cent, Navarro described the Russia-Ukraine war as “Modi’s war”, and said “the road to peace runs, at least partly, right through New Delhi”.

The criticism comes amid continuing tensions between Washington and New Delhi over tariffs and India’s energy imports from Moscow. The United States has repeatedly expressed concern that revenues from Russian oil sales are helping finance the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, while India has maintained that its purchases are driven by economic and commercial considerations.

Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman said on Friday that New Delhi will continue to buy oil from Moscow as India’s oil purchases are driven by economic and commercial considerations.

“Whether it is Russian oil or anything else, it’s our decision to buy from the place which suits our needs… So, where we buy our oil from…we will have to take a call which (supply source) suits us the best. So, we will undoubtedly be buying it,” Sitharaman said in an interview with television news channel CNN-News18.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Friday downplayed tensions with India, calling ties ‘special,’ a day after suggesting that Washington had ‘lost India and Russia’ to China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday responded to his latest remark and said that he deeply appreciates and fully reciprocates the US President’s sentiments and “positive assessment” of the bilateral relationship.