White Home commerce adviser Peter Navarro sharply criticised India for buying Russian power and defence tools, pledging to “hit India the place it hurts” with a view to change New Delhi’s coverage. In an opinion piece for the Monetary Instances, Navarro termed India’s oil commerce with Russia “opportunistic” and “corrosive” to world efforts being made to isolate the Russian financial system.
A former economics professor who emerged as a significant commerce adviser to US President Donald Trump in his first administration, Navarro is seen a significant power behind the US’s retaliatory tariffs on buying and selling companions. In his article, Navarro sought to hyperlink what he termed as India’s “excessive” tariffs and “monetary help” for Russia’s battle in Ukraine, saying India was utilizing {dollars} earned from commerce with America to purchase Russian oil.
“As Russia continues to hammer Ukraine, helped by India’s monetary help, American (and European) taxpayers are then compelled to spend tens of billions extra to assist Ukraine’s defence. In the meantime, India retains slamming the door on American exports via excessive tariffs and commerce obstacles. Greater than 300,000 troopers and civilians have been killed, whereas Nato’s jap flank grows extra uncovered and the west foots the invoice for India’s oil laundering,” wrote Navarro.
In negotiations with the US for a Free Commerce Settlement, India has refused to budge on protections for its agriculture, dairy and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sectors from unfettered American imports.
Trump on July 30 introduced punitive tariffs of 25% on Indian items shipped to America. He subsequently added one other 25% levy, which is scheduled to come back into impact subsequent week, for buying Russian oil. India’s overseas ministry has termed the tariffs as “unreasonable” and “extraordinarily unlucky”.
Navarro additionally attacked Indian refiners for “profiteering” by buying Russian discounted oil and exporting the processed petroleum merchandise to Europe, Africa and Asia, stating that the surge in crude oil imports from Russia after 2022 was not for assembly home consumption.
“The Biden administration largely seemed the opposite means at this strategic and geopolitical insanity. The Trump administration is confronting it,” Navarro stated of Trump’s tariffs on India which have left the nation’s exports to the US at a major drawback with these from competing nations.
“This two-pronged coverage will hit India the place it hurts — its entry to US markets — even because it seeks to chop off the monetary lifeline it has prolonged to Russia’s battle effort,” Navarro stated. “If India desires to be handled as a strategic accomplice of the US, it wants to begin performing like one.”
Navarro’s criticism marks the most recent recrimination of India’s ties with Russia from a senior member of the Trump administration. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White Home Deputy Chief of Employees Stephen Miller have additionally taken concern with New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow.
Navarro additionally added to earlier criticisms of India in a brand new route, by taking goal at defence know-how transfers from US companies to India.
In his view, constructing factories in India and transferring delicate applied sciences doesn’t assist enhance Washington’s commerce stability with New Delhi. Navarro additionally charged India with “cozying as much as each Russia and China”.
Former US officers have questioned Navarro’s assertions concerning the India-Russia relationship.
“The bigger concern is that the secretary of State and different principals authorised this piece. So those that know higher and are purported to stability American pursuits both agree with it, don’t agree with it however authorised it anyway, or simply don’t care,” says Evan Feigenbaum, a former diplomat who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia underneath George W Bush.
“This completes an odd narrative arc from Washington and has lastly shifted US coverage from a commerce battle and strategic friction with China to a commerce battle and strategic friction with India as a substitute. I’ll say it flatly: that’s simply strategic malpractice,” provides Feigenbaum, who helped negotiate the India-US civilian nuclear deal in the course of the mid-2000s.
