Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai.Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro has described the Ukraine war as a ‘Modi War’. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, he accused India of playing a double game by buying cheap Russian oil, refining it, and selling it at higher prices. Navarro claimed this trade is funding Russia’s war machine and helping Moscow continue its attacks on Ukraine. He warned that India’s growing ties with Russia and China could become a global threat.

India’s Russian oil imports under scrutiny

Navarro alleged that India imports about 1.5 million barrels of Russian oil daily, which provides enough money for Russia to buy weapons, drones, and bombs used in Ukraine. He dismissed India’s argument that its oil purchases are based on domestic needs. According to him, Russia earns directly from India’s payments and uses this revenue to strengthen its military operations against Ukraine.

Criticism of India’s trade policies and tariffs

The adviser also targeted India’s high tariffs on American goods. He said US businesses, workers, and taxpayers are suffering because of India’s unfair trade policies. Navarro accused India of causing job losses and factory shutdowns in America. He even called Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrogant, claiming that India’s policies are draining the US economy while also backing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

White House warns of tougher US stance

Kevin Hassett, Trump’s economic adviser, added that if India does not change its trade position, Trump will not soften his stance either. He said the White House is disappointed with India’s refusal to open its markets despite higher US tariffs on Indian goods. Hassett clarified that these tariffs were introduced not just for trade reasons but also to put pressure on Russia so that a peace deal could be reached with Ukraine.

India emerges as Russia’s second largest buyer

India is now the world’s second largest buyer of Russian oil after China. Before the war, India’s imports from Russia were negligible, just 0.2 percent of its total oil purchases. But by May 2023, this share had risen to 45 percent, equal to about 2 million barrels a day. Between January and July 2025, India imported around 1.78 million barrels per day. For the past two years, India has been spending over 130 billion dollars annually on Russian oil.

Russia refuses to withdraw from captured regions

The Ukraine war has continued since February 2022, with Russia occupying about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. President Putin insists these regions are part of Russia’s strategic and historic heritage and refuses to return them. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded an unconditional ceasefire but refuses to surrender even one inch of Ukrainian land, arguing that doing so would weaken the country’s sovereignty and encourage further Russian aggression.

Key points in a nutshell

• Trump’s adviser Peter Navarro calls Ukraine war a ‘Modi War’
• India accused of buying cheap Russian oil and reselling it
• Navarro says oil money funds Russia’s attacks on Ukraine
• US tariffs on Indian goods linked to Russia pressure strategy
• Modi called arrogant by Navarro over oil import stance
• India now world’s second largest buyer of Russian oil
• Russia holds 20% of Ukraine, refuses to give up land