The dramatic increase in India’s purchases of Russian oil since the invasion of Ukraine is “opportunistic and deeply corrosive” of a global effort to isolate the Kremlin and curb Vladimir Putin’s war machine, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote in the Financial Times.
In a strongly worded column, Navarro—long a hawkish voice and now an important force behind Donald Trump’s punitive global tariff—linked India’s trade barriers and what he characterized as its financial support for Russia, depicting dealings that come at the expense of the U.S.
“American consumers buy Indian goods,” he said. “India uses those dollars to buy discounted Russian crude.”
India’s External Affairs Ministry didn’t respond to an email seeking comment on Navarro’s column. The South Asian country has defended its right to buy oil from the cheapest source. The threat of penalties and additional tariffs for buying Russian crude is “unreasonable” and “extremely unfortunate,” Randhir Jaiswal, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said earlier this month.
Historically, India hasn’t been a significant importer of Russian crude, depending more heavily on the Middle East. That changed in 2022, after the invasion of Ukraine and a $60-per-barrel price cap imposed by the Group of Seven nations that aimed to limit the Kremlin’s oil revenue while keeping supplies flowing globally. India’s ability to purchase discounted cargoes was a feature of that mechanism acknowledged by U.S. officials.
Russia accounted for a negligible portion of India’s total imports in 2021, and the country has tended to depend far more heavily on the Middle East. Today, Russia makes up around 37% of imports, according to data analytics firm Kpler.
“This surge has not been driven by domestic oil consumption needs. Rather, what really drives this trade is profiteering by India’s Big Oil lobby,” Navarro said. “In effect, India acts as a global clearinghouse for Russian oil, converting embargoed crude into high-value exports while giving Moscow the dollars it needs.”
He also took a swipe at India’s oil tycoons and their ties to the government. Reliance Industries Ltd., owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has been among the buyers of Russian crude. It has bought cargoes under long-term contracts.
“The proceeds flow to India’s politically connected energy titans, and in turn, into Vladimir Putin’s war chest,” Navarro said.
In the last few weeks, Trump has hit India with a 50% tariff rate—far higher than it placed on regional peers, partly to punish New Delhi for its Russian purchases. The doubling of an original levy comes into effect next week.
“This two-pronged policy will hit India where it hurts—its access to U.S. markets—even as it seeks to cut off the financial lifeline it has extended to Russia’s war effort,” Navarro said. “If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the U.S., it needs to start acting like one.”
India is the only major economy to be hit with what Trump calls “secondary tariffs”, though Beijing buys more of Moscow’s crude overall. Trump—eager to slash the U.S.’s trade deficit with India—has floated the possibility of higher levies on China over its Russian purchases, Navarro has downplayed that possibility, suggesting higher levels would hurt the U.S. economy.