‘That’s strategic freeloading’: After oil, Navarro goes after India’s defence ties with Russia
India and Russia have had longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation in the field of defence. From a buyer-seller dynamic, the two nations’ defence ties have evolved into joint research, development and production of advanced defence technologies.
- Aug 29, 2025,
- Updated Aug 29, 2025 10:41 AM IST
White House adviser Peter Navarro, whose unwarranted and scathing remarks on India have made headlines, has now gone off after India’s defence ties with Russia. Navarro who has called New Delhi Kremlin’s laundromat and deemed the Ukraine war as “Modi’s war” said India’s defence ties with Russia is “strategic freeloading”.
“It doesn’t stop there. India continues to buy Russian weapons – while demanding that US firms transfer sensitive military tech and build plants in India. That’s strategic freeloading,” he said. This comes amid his long rant about India’s continued purchasing of Russian oil.
India and Russia have had longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation in the field of defence. From a buyer-seller dynamic, the two nations’ defence ties have evolved into joint research, development and production of advanced defence technologies. Some of the examples of the flagship cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow include BrahMos missile system, the joint development of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and the Multi Transport Aircraft, as well as the licensed production in India of SU-30 aircraft and T-90 tanks.
The two countries also hold exchanges and training exercises between the armed forces annually, and have an inter-government commission with groups and sub-groups to review the defence cooperation.
Navarro in his fresh tirade repeated his earlier statements and accused India of funding the Ukraine war. He said India uses the US Dollar to fund the war, and went on to explain “how the India-Russia oil mathematics works”. He also said that the 50 per cent tariff on India would cut off the “financial lifeline India has extended to Putin’s war machine” with no mention of how the EU, China and even the US themselves are profiteering.
White House adviser Peter Navarro, whose unwarranted and scathing remarks on India have made headlines, has now gone off after India’s defence ties with Russia. Navarro who has called New Delhi Kremlin’s laundromat and deemed the Ukraine war as “Modi’s war” said India’s defence ties with Russia is “strategic freeloading”.
“It doesn’t stop there. India continues to buy Russian weapons – while demanding that US firms transfer sensitive military tech and build plants in India. That’s strategic freeloading,” he said. This comes amid his long rant about India’s continued purchasing of Russian oil.
India and Russia have had longstanding and wide-ranging cooperation in the field of defence. From a buyer-seller dynamic, the two nations’ defence ties have evolved into joint research, development and production of advanced defence technologies. Some of the examples of the flagship cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow include BrahMos missile system, the joint development of the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft and the Multi Transport Aircraft, as well as the licensed production in India of SU-30 aircraft and T-90 tanks.
The two countries also hold exchanges and training exercises between the armed forces annually, and have an inter-government commission with groups and sub-groups to review the defence cooperation.
Navarro in his fresh tirade repeated his earlier statements and accused India of funding the Ukraine war. He said India uses the US Dollar to fund the war, and went on to explain “how the India-Russia oil mathematics works”. He also said that the 50 per cent tariff on India would cut off the “financial lifeline India has extended to Putin’s war machine” with no mention of how the EU, China and even the US themselves are profiteering.