2 White House Administrations, 2 Very Different Views: Navarro Vs Garcetti On India Buying Russian Oil

Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro has sharply attacked India’s Russian oil imports, calling them a “profiteering scheme” and even a “Kremlin laundromat.” He argued that before 2022, India bought virtually no Russian oil, but now imports 30–35% of its needs, claiming refiners are exploiting discounted crude to sell products at premium prices globally. Navarro linked this trade to financing Russia’s war effort and justified Trump’s tariff push on India. In contrast, former US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti last year acknowledged India’s growing Russian oil purchases but struck a softer tone, saying Washington understood India’s energy needs and would not dictate its choices. Together, the remarks reveal the sharp divide in Washington’s approaches toward New Delhi.