White House trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro stated that if India seeks a strategic partnership with the US, it must stop buying Russian oil. He wrote about this in a column for the Financial Times.
Source: “Espresso”
According to Navarro, India’s dependence on Russian crude oil undermines global efforts to isolate Moscow and in fact finances military aggression against Ukraine. He emphasized that the scheme under which India buys cheap oil, refines it, and exports it to other countries allows sanctions to be circumvented and brings profit both to Indian companies and to Putin.
Navarro also noted that before the invasion of Ukraine, the share of Russian oil in India’s imports was less than 1%, whereas now it exceeds 30%. In his view, this is driven not by India’s needs but by the oil lobby’s activities.
In addition, the adviser stressed the enormous trade deficit between the US and India, which amounts to about $50 billion annually, as well as the high tariffs imposed by Delhi.
He explained that US President Donald Trump’s decision to introduce a 25% tariff on Indian goods is directly linked to India’s import of Russian oil. This move is meant to signal that Washington expects consistency from its partners.
“If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the US, it must start acting accordingly,” Navarro concluded.