White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro on Thursday launched a scathing attack on India and accused it of 'perpetuating' the war in Ukraine by purchasing Russian crude oil. In his remarks, Navarro said India is acting as a 'laundromat' for Russia and has failed to recognise its role in the 'bloodshed' in Ukraine.
He also stressed that India does not need to purchase Russian oil and that the road to peace goes through New Delhi. Although he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'great leader', Navarro defended the Trump administration's decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on India, saying New Delhi is 'cosying' up to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"India doesn't appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed... It's cosying up to Xi Jinping (Chinese President). They (India) don't need the (Russian) oil. It's a refining profiteering scheme. It's a laundromat for the Kremlin," he said.
"I love India. Modi is a great leader, but please, India, look at your role in the global economy. What you're doing right now is not creating peace. It's perpetuating the war," he added.
Who is Peter Navarro?
Born on July 15, 1949, in Cambridge, Peter Kent Navarro is an American economist who has been working as the senior counsellor for trade and manufacturing to US President Donald Trump. During Trump's first term as US President from 2016 to 2020, Navarro first served as the director White House National Trade Council and then as the director of new Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy.
Navarro, a graduate of Tufts University, has also authored multiple books, such as 'The Coming China Wars'(2006), 'Death by China: Confronting the Dragon – A Global Call to Action' (2011) and 'Red Moon Rising: How America Will Beat China on the Final Frontier' (2024). In his books, Navarro has portrayed Beijing as a 'dangerous and expansionist' power.
Navarro's hard stance against China
Navarro believes China has undermined the global industry and has always been a critic of Washington's trade with Beijing. He has also criticised China for its 'currency manipulation'. In his book 'The Coming China Wars', he called China's aspirations 'insatiable' that would eventually lead to a clash over "most basic of all needs — bread, water, and air".
Because of his hard stance against China, it is believed that Navarro was the architect of the Trump administration's trade war and sanctions against Beijing. Notably, China had also imposed sanctions on Navarro after Trump demitted the office in 2021.
Navarro's criticism and his defence
Navarro was also criticised for his hard stance against other countries, especially China, with Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk calling him "truly a moron". However, his criticism didn't change his stance, with Navarro once telling NBC News, "I've been called worse."
Navarro's criticism of India
Though Navarro has been critical of China, he has now criticised India for buying Russian oil. As per Navarro, India "bought virtually no Russian oil" before the beginning of the Ukraine war in February 2022, but that percentage has increased to 30-35 per cent.
He has alleged that India is also selling Russian oil at premium prices to Europe, Africa, and Asia, as he defended the Trump administration's decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on India. "They have higher tariffs, Maharaja tariffs... We run a massive trade deficit with them. So that hurts American workers and businesses," he said on Thursday.
India's defence of US criticism
Meanwhile, India has defended its decision to buy Russian oil, saying other countries are also doing the same. The Indian government has also briefed the Parliament about the same, saying India would take all steps to protect its national interests.
