Trump aide slams India over Russia ties, backs tariffs while sparing China
- Posted on August 22, 2025
- International Politics
- By Arijit Dutta
- 79 Views
Trump aide Peter Navarro accused India of “cozying up” to Xi Jinping and acting as a “laundromat for the Kremlin” through rising Russian oil imports. He backed Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian goods, even as Washington spared China from new duties. India called the move discriminatory and retaliated.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Thursday accused India of “cozying up” to Chinese President Xi Jinping and continuing oil trade with Russia despite the Ukraine war. He called India a “laundromat for the Kremlin” and defended President Donald Trump’s decision to double duties on Indian goods.
Navarro, who has long criticized India’s energy imports from Moscow, said New Delhi was ignoring its role in fueling the conflict in Ukraine. He dismissed Indian arguments of necessity, pointing out that before Russia’s 2022 invasion, India barely imported Russian oil.
The sharp comments come as Trump’s administration moves to impose additional 25% tariffs on Indian imports by August 27. New Delhi has hit back, accusing Washington of unfairly singling out India for actions many countries are pursuing in their national interests.
Despite his criticism of India, Navarro confirmed that no new tariffs have been imposed on China, even though Beijing remains the top buyer of Russian oil. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained the difference, saying China’s reliance on Russian oil only rose slightly—from 13% to 16%—while India’s surged to 42% from under 1% before the war.
The disparity has fueled speculation that Washington is targeting India more aggressively than China, even as Trump ramps up his trade war rhetoric. Trump has warned of tariffs as high as 50% on Indian imports, while reciprocal measures by India are already in effect.
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With the tariff deadline approaching, tensions between Washington and New Delhi are set to escalate further, complicating U.S.-India relations amid ongoing global realignments over energy and security.
