Donald Trump's aide Navarro calls Modi-Putin-Xi SCO bonhomie a 'shame', warns India must choose Washington over Moscow

Navarro claims India’s crude purchases from Russia are effectively funding Putin’s war in Ukraine, calls India 'nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin' while questioning the political and economic consequences for ordinary Indians

US President Donald Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro on Monday sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the latter's meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. Navarro called it “a shame” to see Modi “getting in bed with Xi Jinping and Putin” and suggested the Indian leader “needs to be with us and not Russia”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China.

Since Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods in late August, Navarro has frequently criticised New Delhi’s ongoing trade with Moscow, arguing that revenue from crude purchases funds Putin’s war in Ukraine. “There’s a two-prong problem with India… Twenty-five per cent is reciprocal — because of unfair trade — and the other 25 per cent is because India is buying oil from Russia,” Navarro said earlier, calling India the “Maharaja of tariffs” for having some of the highest duties among major economies.

He also escalated his attack by invoking caste fault lines, alleging “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of ordinary Indians” in the context of India’s oil purchases from Russia.

Navarro labelled India “nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin” and criticised New Delhi for enabling trade imbalances and geopolitical alliances that run counter to the American interests. “I would just simply say to the Indian people. Please, understand what’s going on here. You’ve got Brahmins profiteering… We need that to stop,” he added.

Modi, meanwhile, was seen sharing camaraderie with Putin and Xi, exchanging laughter and riding together in a car for the bilateral talks. The summit images underscored a growing alignment among India, China, and Russia amid the US trade pressure.

New Delhi, unbowed by Trump’s tariffs, has condemned the measures as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”, while stating it will continue buying Russian oil to secure “the best deal” for 1.4 billion citizens. Russia now supplies 35–40 per cent of India’s crude, up from under 2 per cent before February 2022, with plans to expand bilateral trade by 50 per cent to $100 billion over five years.

Navarro, a known Trump loyalist, has repeatedly accused India of exacerbating the Ukraine conflict, calling it “Modi’s war” and asserting that “the road to peace in Ukraine runs at least partly right through New Delhi.” He has claimed India’s high tariffs harm American workers while allowing Russia to profit. Despite his sharp criticism, Navarro has conceded Modi is “a great leader” but expressed puzzlement at his dealings with Russia and China.