Putin’s war chest: Trump assistant’s fresh ‘India-Russia oil mathematics’ tirade

In a series of posts on X, Peter Navarro argued that Indian refiners, in collaboration with “silent Russian partners”were turning the affordable petroleum into earnings on the global market while funnelling hard cash back to Moscow.

Just Recently, Peter Navarro had actually stated that India would get a 25 percent decrease in United States tariffs if it stopped purchasing Russian oil. (File picture)

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After calling the Ukraine dispute “Modi’s war”White House advisor and senior Donald Trump assistant Peter Navarro has actually now advanced another strange claim, arguing that India’s oil trade with Russia funnels cash directly into “Vladimir Putin’s war chest”

Navarro’s remarks came simply a day after the Trump administration’s sweeping 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports entered impact, a punitive step clearly connected to New Delhi’s ongoing sourcing of marked down Russian crude.

In a string of posts on X, Navarro stated the brand-new tariff routine was not merely about trade conflicts however about cutting off what he referred to as India’s financial backing to Moscow.

“President Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian imports are now in effect. This isn’t just about India’s unfair trade — it’s about cutting off the financial lifeline India has extended to Putin’s war machine,” he published.

The senior White House main then set out what he called the “oil mathematics”declaring that India exploits its trade surplus with the United States to spend for Russian crude.

“Here’s how the India-Russia oil mathematics works: American consumers buy Indian goods while India keeps out US exports through high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. India uses our dollars to buy discounted Russian crude,” he stated.

Navarro argued that Indian refiners, in collaboration with “silent Russian partners”were turning Russia’s reduced crude into earnings on the worldwide market while funnelling hard cash back to Moscow.

“Indian refiners, with their silent Russian partners, refine and flip the black-market oil for big profits on the international market – while Russia pockets hard currency to fund its war on Ukraine,” he published.

Navarro declared that Russian oil imports have actually risen since its intrusion of Ukrainerepresenting it as profit-driven instead of driven by India’s domestic need.

“Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian oil made up less than 1% of India’s imports. This surge isn’t driven by domestic demand — it’s driven by Indian profiteers and carries an added price of blood and devastation in Ukraine,” he stated.

Donald Trump’s relied on assistant likewise implicated India’s energy sector of turning the nation into a worldwide center for laundering Russian oil profits

“India’s Big Oil lobby has turned the largest democracy in the world into a massive refining hub and oil money laundromat for the Kremlin. Indian refiners buy cheap Russian oil, process it, and export fuels to Europe, Africa, and Asia — shielded from sanctions under the pretense of neutrality,” he stated.

Lavarro included that the scale of India’s exports demonstrated how the procedure operated in practice “India now exports over 1 million barrels a day in refined petroleum — more than half the volume of Russian crude it imports. The proceeds flow to India’s politically connected energy titans — and directly into Putin’s war chest,” he declared.

The Trump assistant connected these oil streams to the United States trade deficit, arguing that India’s practices damage American exporters while indirectly moneying Russia.

“While the United States pays to arm Ukraine, India bankrolls Russia even as it slaps some of the world’s highest tariffs on US goods, which in turn punishes American exporters. We run a $50-billion trade deficit with India — and they’re using our dollars to buy Russian oil. They make a killing and Ukrainians die,” he composed.

Navarro likewise implicated India of hypocrisy on defence ties, stating it continued to purchase weapons from Russia while looking for innovation transfers from Washington. “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 stated.

Concluding his argument, Navarro contrasted Trump’s technique with that of previous President Joe Biden, who he declared had “looked the other way”

“The Biden admin largely looked the other way at this madness. President Trump is confronting it. A 50% tariff — 25% for unfair trade and 25% for national security — is a direct response. If India, the world’s largest democracy, wants to be treated like a strategic partner of the US, it needs to act like one. The road to peace in Ukraine runs through New Delhi,” he stated.

– Ends

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