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US trade adviser Navarro accuses India of funding Russia’s war, rules out tariff relief

Peter Navarro says India’s Russian oil purchases act as a “laundromat for the Kremlin” as Washington prepares to hike tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent.

Peter Navarro Calls India a “Laundromat for the Kremlin”

Peter Navarro, Counselor to the US President for Trade and Manufacturing, speaks during a television interview outside of the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC on August 21, 2025.

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Highlights:

  • US trade adviser Peter Navarro claims “road to peace in Ukraine runs through New Delhi.”
  • Says India uses US trade profits to buy discounted Russian crude, resell refined oil at higher margins.
  • Labels India’s strategy a “refining profiteering scheme” and a “laundromat for the Kremlin.”
  • Washington set to double tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent over energy ties with Russia.
  • External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calls move “perplexing,” citing US’s own push to stabilize global energy markets.

With only days left before an additional 25 per cent tariff is set to be imposed on Indian products, US trade adviser Peter Navarro has ruled out any relief for India and emphasized the country’s pivotal role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Navarro asserted, “The road to peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict runs through New Delhi,” expressing concern over India’s growing economic partnership with Russia amid the war.

Navarro, speaking to reporters, made clear his respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi but called on India to reconsider its approach: “I love India. Look, [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi is a great leader. But India, please look at what your role here is in the global economy and the greater good. What you’re doing right now is not creating peace, it’s perpetuating the war.” He criticized India’s crude procurement practices, referring to them as a “refining profiteering scheme” and describing the country as a “laundromat for the Kremlin.”


The trade adviser’s comments arrive as the US prepares to implement a 50 per cent tariff—double the already steep 25 per cent baseline—on certain Indian goods. The escalation is tied directly to India’s continued energy imports from Russia, which US officials argue undermine the Western campaign to isolate Moscow.

Navarro elaborated, “They don’t need oil, it’s a refining profiteering scheme. They use the money that they get from us when they sell us stuff… to buy Russian oil, which then is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there. But then the Russians use the money to build more arms and kill Ukrainians… American taxpayers have to provide more aid… that’s insane.”

Referencing his opinion piece for the Financial Times, Navarro pointed out that before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India sourced only about 1% of its oil from Russia. Now, he claims, that share has jumped to between 30-35%, challenging India’s narrative that Russian oil imports are essential to stabilize its energy market.

The US move comes just after India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed his confusion over the increased tariffs, noting, “It was the Americans who said we should do everything to stabilise the world’s energy markets, including buying oil from Russia. We also buy oil from America, and that amount has been increasing. So quite honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument,” he said during his visit to Moscow.

Navarro’s remarks underscore deepening trade and diplomatic tensions as both sides stick to their positions amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.