New Delhi: US President Donald Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro, has escalated his criticism of India’s trade policies, warning that it “won’t end well” if New Delhi doesn’t “come around” in negotiations with the United States. In an interview on the Real America’s Voice show, Navarro reiterated his earlier jab calling India the “Maharaja” of tariffs, claiming that India imposes some of the highest trade barriers against the US among major economies.
“But it’s absolutely true. They have the highest tariffs in any major country in the world against the United States. We got to deal with that,” Navarro asserted. He also accused India of profiteering by purchasing Russian oil at discounted rates, which he claimed indirectly burdens American taxpayers.
“India never bought oil from Moscow before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—except for tiny drops. Now they’re profiteering with Russian refiners operating on Indian soil, and American taxpayers end up footing the bill,” Navarro alleged.
While historically India’s crude oil imports from Russia were negligible compared to supplies from the Middle East, this changed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. With the G-20 nations imposing a price cap of $60 per barrel on Russian oil, India’s ability to access discounted shipments became a sanctioned mechanism, as acknowledged by US officials.
Navarro also praised the successful trade agreements the US has signed with countries like the European Union, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. “These countries are working closely with us because they realise they’ve been taking advantage of the US and need access to our markets,” he added.
Turning his sights on India, Navarro warned, “I think India must come around at some point. If it doesn’t, it’s lying down with Russia and China—and that won’t end well for India.”
On further sanctions against China, the world’s largest purchaser of Russian oil, Navarro remarked, “We’re walking a fine line here. India has to stop buying Russian oil—that would be good for peace. The road to peace partly runs through New Delhi.”
He also emphasised that Europe should halt oil imports from Russia. Regarding China, Navarro noted that the US has imposed over 50% tariffs, while striving to protect American interests through careful negotiation. “That’s the art of diplomacy—trust in Trump,” he concluded.
Navarro launched a scathing attack on the BRICS alliance, calling its member nations “vampires” whose unfair trade practices drain US resources. “None of these countries can survive without selling to the United States. Their exports are like vampires sucking our blood dry,” he said.
He predicted the alliance’s collapse, citing deep-rooted tensions among its members. “Historically, they hate each other and kill each other,” Navarro remarked, citing China’s alleged illegal expansion into Russia’s Siberia, its support for Pakistan’s nuclear program, and India’s longstanding border disputes with China.
He mocked Russia’s partnership with China and criticized Brazil’s economic policies under President Lula, claiming that “the Brazilian economy is going down the tubes because of socialism.”
Navarro’s remarks follow a controversy after being repeatedly fact-checked for false claims about India’s oil purchases from Russia. When corrected, Navarro lashed out on social media platform X, accusing “Indian special interests” of manipulating polls and spreading misinformation to influence public discourse.
He wrote, “India has the largest population in the world & all it can do is manage a few hundred thousand X propagandists to jerk around a poll? Too funny.”
Navarro’s attacks on India’s trade and energy policies, coupled with his dismissive stance toward BRICS, have sparked debate about the growing geopolitical tensions and America’s approach to global trade relationships.
