US President Donald Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro has renewed his sharp criticism of India, accusing New Delhi of indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing discounted Russian crude, refining it, and exporting it for profit.
In an interview with Fox News, Navarro doubled down on his “laundromat” characterization of India, arguing that the practice was sustaining Moscow’s war machine.
“India is nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin…You got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop,” Navarro said, alleging that refiners were reselling Russian oil at a premium to Europe, Africa, and Asia.
He added, “It kills Ukrainians…And what do we have to do as taxpayers? We’ve got to send them more money.”
Navarro claimed that India had purchased little Russian oil before Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but is now a major buyer. “Before Putin invaded Ukraine, India didn’t buy Russian oil to speak of—very, very small amounts. What happened? Now, Russian refiners provide discounts, India refines it and then sells it at a premium…It fuels the Russian war machine.”
The Trump aide also defended punitive tariffs imposed on Indian exports, calling India “the Maharaja of tariffs.” He said, “25% of the 50% is because India is the Maharaja of tariffs. They have the highest tariffs in the world. They won’t let us sell to them. So who gets hurt? Workers in America, taxpayers in America, Ukrainians in cities getting killed by Russian drones.”
Navarro accused Indian refiners of working with “silent Russian partners” and using “American trade dollars” to bankroll the Kremlin. In a post on X, he wrote, “India uses our dollars to buy discounted Russian crude. This isn’t just about India’s unfair trade; it’s about cutting off the financial lifeline India has extended to Putin’s war machine.”
The Trump administration has escalated its rhetoric against India’s ties with Moscow, with Navarro earlier dubbing the conflict “Modi’s war.” “India, you’re the biggest democracy in the world, okay? Act like one… side with the democracies…(instead) you’re getting in bed with the authoritarians,” he said.
Navarro also questioned New Delhi’s deepening engagement with both Russia and China. “[PM] Modi’s a great leader…I don’t understand why he’s getting into bed with [Vladimir] Putin and Xi Jinping, when he’s the biggest democracy in the world,” he said.
Latest from Navarro: Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people.
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Mota bhai be like — Phew he is not talking about us 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/MY1qKeyqc7— Yusuf Unjhawala 🇮🇳 (@YusufDFI) August 31, 2025
The comments come as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Tianjin, China, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. He has already met President Xi Jinping and is expected to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin later today.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times)
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