Trump Aide Revives ‘India-Russia Oil Math’ Claim in Fresh Attack on Putin’s War Chest

Former White House adviser Peter Navarro, a senior aide to Donald Trump, has escalated his criticism of India-Russia energy ties, claiming that New Delhi’s oil trade with Moscow directly funds Vladimir Putin’s war chest.

Navarro’s remarks follow the implementation of a 50% US tariff on Indian imports, a punitive measure linked to India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian crude. In a series of posts on X, Navarro argued that the tariffs were less about trade fairness and more about cutting off what he described as India’s financial support to Russia.

“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 wrote.

Navarro laid out what he called the “oil mathematics,” alleging that India uses its trade surplus with the US to finance Russian oil purchases:

“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 further claimed that Indian refiners, in partnership with “silent Russian partners,” convert Russia’s cheap crude into profits for the international market while funneling hard currency back to Moscow:

“Indian refiners 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.”

Navarro highlighted the surge in Russian oil imports since the Ukraine invasion, portraying it as profit-driven rather than domestic-demand-driven. He accused India’s energy sector of effectively acting as a global hub for laundering Russian oil revenues:

“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.”

According to Navarro, India now exports over 1 million barrels a day in refined petroleum, more than half the Russian crude it imports, and he claimed the proceeds benefit politically connected energy elites while bolstering Putin’s war funds.

He also linked India’s practices to the US trade deficit, accusing the country of harming American exporters while indirectly funding 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. 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.”

Navarro further criticized India for continuing to buy Russian weapons while seeking technology transfers from the US, calling it “strategic freeloading.”

Concluding his argument, he contrasted Trump’s approach with that of the Biden administration:

“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 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.”