‘Cutting financial lifeline to Putin’: Navarro renews attack on India after ‘Modi’s war’ comment

White House adviser Peter Navarro, who previously labeled the Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war,” has once again targeted India, reiterating that “the road to peace in Ukraine runs through New Delhi.”

This comes as President Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian imports have officially taken effect. He stated, “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.”

1/ President Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian imports are now in effect.

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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. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/bwLaL9dBTv

— Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) August 28, 2025

“American consumers buy Indian goods while India keeps out US exports through high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. India uses our dollars to buy discounted Russian crude,” he said, adding that Indian refiners “with their silent Russian partners” refine and flip the black market oil for big profits on the international market. This enables Russia to pocket hard currency to fund its war, he said.

The surge of Russian oil to India is driven by Indian profiteers and carries an “added price of blood and devastation in Ukraine”.

“India’s Big Oil lobby has turned the largest democracy in the world into a massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin. Indian refiners buy cheap Russian oil, process it, and export fuels to Europe, Africa, and Asia – shielded from sanctions under the pretense of neutrality,” said Navarro.

Navarro pointed out that India continues to purchase weapons from Russia while also insisting that U.S. defense companies share sensitive military technology and establish manufacturing facilities in India. “That’s strategic freeloading,” he said.

He further claimed that the profits benefit India’s politically connected energy giants and ultimately funnel into “Putin’s war chest.”

“We run a $50-billion trade deficit with India – and they’re using our dollars to buy Russian oil. They make a killing and Ukrainians die,” he said.

He reiterated his earlier stance, stating, “If India, the world’s largest democracy, wants to be treated like a strategic partner of the U.S., it needs to act like one.”