Trump advisor accuses India of financing war in Ukraine through purchase of Russian oil

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that India is effectively financing the war in Ukraine by buying oil from Russia.

Bloomberg writes about this.

Navarro called the war in Ukraine "Modiʼs war". According to him, it is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is financing the "Kremlin war machine".

Navarro emphasized that by buying oil "at a discount", India is helping Russia and harming the United States, which is forced to financially assist Ukraine.

"All Americans lose because of what India is doing. Consumers, businesses and workers lose jobs and income, and taxpayers lose because we are forced to fund Modiʼs war," said Trumpʼs adviser.

The statement came after the US administration doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%. Bloomberg notes that this is the highest level of tariffs in Asia, which will affect more than half of Indian exports to the US, including textiles and jewelry.

The White House adviser also criticized New Delhiʼs position, noting that the Indian authorities are using the "sovereign right" to buy oil from anyone.

"India, you are the largest democracy in the world. Behave accordingly," Navarro urged.

What preceded

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India became the top buyer of Russian oil shipped by sea. This happened because Western countries refused to import it. In May, New Delhi was expected to import more than 2.1 million barrels per day. This was made possible by the involvement of new tankers in the transport of oil after US sanctions in January.

In May 2025, Bloomberg reported that tankers under US sanctions were among the ships delivering Russian oil to India. At that time, about a million barrels of Russian “Sokol” oil were delivered to the countryʼs refinery.

In August, Donald Trump imposed additional tariffs of 25% on imports from India for buying oil from Russia. Thus, state-owned companies have suspended purchases of Russian oil, while private companies continue to import it.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote in a column for the Financial Times that the surge in Russian oil imports was driven by “the profits of the Indian oil lobby”, not domestic needs.

In addition, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that some of “India’s wealthiest families” were benefiting from Russian oil purchases and confirmed plans to raise tariffs on New Delhi.

Trump threatened to raise tariffs on all Indian goods to the US to 50% starting August 27. The tariffs will be increased by half because India buys Russian oil. The Indian government responded that it buys oil at market prices and conditions and will do everything to protect its interests.

On August 20, Bloomberg reported that Indiaʼs state-owned oil refiners have resumed purchases of Russian oil, despite higher trade tariffs and a wave of criticism from Trump administration officials.

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