After 'maharaja of tariffs', Trump aide calls India ‘laundromat for Russia’ over oil trade

WHite put up merchandise advisor saint peter the apostle Navarro has levelled refreshed charges against India over its purchase of oil from Russia, alleging the country is a “laundromat for the Kremlin”. Navarro's attack comes days after he termed India the "Maharaja of tariffs" as he backed US President Donald Trump's doubling of duties on Indian goods entering the country.In a media interaction, Navarro asserted that India's oil purchase from Russia was virtually close to nothing before Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. "The argument now, when this percentage has gone up to 30-35%, that somehow they need Russian oil, is nonsense...," the Trump aide could be heard saying in a clip shared by C-Span. "India doesn't appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed... It's cosying up to Xi Jinping (Chinese President). They (India) don't need the (Russian) oil," he said.Backing the same argument, Navarro later said that India's oil trade with Russia is "a refining profiteering scheme. It's a laundromat for the Kremlin." However, the White House official further added: “I love India. Modi is a great leader, but please, India, look at your role in the global economy. What you're doing right now is not creating peace. It's perpetuating the war.”Navarro's remarks come days ahead of Trump's 50% tariff deadline for India. Last month, Trump announced 25% tariffs on Indian imports, which he later threatened to double to 50%. While one half of these duties came into force earlier this month, the remaining would take effect on August 27."In India, 25% tariffs were put in place because they cheat us on trade. Then 25% because of the Russian oil... They have higher tariffs, Maharaja tariffs...," Navarro said, adding that there's a massive trade deficit between India and the US which hurts American businesses.Navarro said that India pays the money it gets from doing business with the US, to Russia, for buying their oil, "which then is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there, but then the Russians use the money to build more arms and kill Ukrainians."The White House official then asserted how the American taxpayer money goes into providing more military aid to Ukraine, adding "that's insane, and President Trump sees that chessboard beautifully... In many ways, the road to peace runs through New Delhi...".This is not the first time the White House official has targeted India over Russian trade. In an opinion piece for the Financial Times a few days ago, Navarro termed India’s oil trade with Russia “opportunistic” and “corrosive” to global efforts being made to isolate the Russian economy.“As Russia continues to hammer Ukraine, helped by India’s financial support, American (and European) taxpayers are then forced to spend tens of billions more to help Ukraine’s defence. Meanwhile, India keeps slamming the door on American exports through high tariffs and trade barriers. More than 300,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed, while Nato’s eastern flank grows more exposed and the west foots the bill for India’s oil laundering,” wrote Navarro.Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is visiting Moscow, lashed out at the tariffs threatened by the US and said that India was "perplexed" at the rationale behind the move.“We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil, that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG, that is the European Union. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the south,” he said.Trade ties between India and the US have been seeing some tensions ever since Donald Trump's tariff tirade last month. While it has targeted India time and again for its oil trade with Russia, it has not imposed any sanctions on China yet.