‘Brahmins profiteering’: Peter Navarro's latest twist to Delhi-Moscow oil ties
The attack comes a day after Modi’s visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China, where he met Putin and Xi — his first trip to China in seven years.
- Sep 1, 2025,
- Updated Sep 1, 2025 6:17 AM IST
White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro launched a fresh salvo at New Delhi, accusing India of laundering Russian oil to fund the war in Ukraine and slamming the country’s elite for profiteering “at the expense of the Indian people.”
In a interview with Fox News, Navarro defended the Trump administration’s 50% tariff barrage on Indian exports and warned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were undermining global stability.
“India is nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin,” Navarro said, alleging that Indian refiners were buying discounted Russian crude, processing it, and exporting it at a premium. “It kills Ukrainians,” he said. “And what do we have to do as taxpayers? We’ve got to send them more money.”
“You got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop.”
The attack comes a day after Modi’s visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China, where he met Putin and Xi — his first trip to China in seven years. The timing coincided with escalating U.S. rhetoric and rising protectionist measures under Trump.
While acknowledging Modi as a “great leader,” Navarro questioned India’s global alignment. “I don’t understand why he is getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he’s the biggest democracy in the world,” he said.
Navarro also blasted India’s trade practices: “India is the Maharaja of tariffs. They export us a bunch of stuff and won’t let us sell to them.” He linked this imbalance to damage suffered by U.S. workers and Ukrainian civilians alike.
White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro launched a fresh salvo at New Delhi, accusing India of laundering Russian oil to fund the war in Ukraine and slamming the country’s elite for profiteering “at the expense of the Indian people.”
In a interview with Fox News, Navarro defended the Trump administration’s 50% tariff barrage on Indian exports and warned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were undermining global stability.
“India is nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin,” Navarro said, alleging that Indian refiners were buying discounted Russian crude, processing it, and exporting it at a premium. “It kills Ukrainians,” he said. “And what do we have to do as taxpayers? We’ve got to send them more money.”
“You got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop.”
The attack comes a day after Modi’s visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China, where he met Putin and Xi — his first trip to China in seven years. The timing coincided with escalating U.S. rhetoric and rising protectionist measures under Trump.
While acknowledging Modi as a “great leader,” Navarro questioned India’s global alignment. “I don’t understand why he is getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he’s the biggest democracy in the world,” he said.
Navarro also blasted India’s trade practices: “India is the Maharaja of tariffs. They export us a bunch of stuff and won’t let us sell to them.” He linked this imbalance to damage suffered by U.S. workers and Ukrainian civilians alike.