White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro Blames India for Prolonging Ukraine War, Calls It “Modi’s War”

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has launched a fresh attack on India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, controversially describing the Russia-Ukraine conflict as “Modi’s war”.

Navarro, a longtime critic of India’s energy purchases from Russia, claimed that the oil trade fuels Moscow’s “war machine” in Ukraine. Speaking to Bloomberg TV, he said:

“Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing. Consumers and businesses lose, workers lose because India’s high tariffs cost us jobs and income. Taxpayers lose because we have to fund Modi’s war.”

When asked if he had misspoken and meant “Putin’s war,” Navarro doubled down: “I mean Modi’s war, because the road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi.”

He further argued that both India and China must halt Russian oil imports if the war is to end, insisting that Moscow’s revenues from energy exports drive Ukraine’s continued appeals for U.S. military and financial aid.

“Indians are arrogant”

Navarro also lashed out at India’s defense of its trade policies:

“What’s troubling is that the Indians are so arrogant about this. They say, ‘Oh, we don’t have higher tariffs. Oh, it’s our sovereignty. We can buy oil from anyone we want.’ India, you’re the biggest democracy in the world—act like one.”

This is not Navarro’s first broadside against India. He previously dubbed the country the “Maharaja of tariffs”, alleging that New Delhi’s oil trade with Russia was negligible before the Ukraine war but has since surged.

Trump’s 50% tariffs on India

Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep 50% tariffs on Indian imports, half of which had already taken effect. The additional 25% duties were justified on grounds of India “directly or indirectly importing Russian oil.” China, despite being the largest buyer of Russian crude, faced no such penalties.

India’s response

New Delhi denounced the U.S. tariffs as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”, arguing that many other countries also purchase Russian energy in line with their national interests.

Prime Minister Modi, without naming Washington, said India was prepared to “pay any price” to protect farmers and its agriculture sector, which contributes nearly 18% of GDP. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that India’s energy choices are “guided by market availability and the global situation.”