Trump trade adviser says India’s Russian oil buys fund Ukraine war

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said India’s purchases of Russian oil are financing Moscow’s war in Ukraine and should be stopped, warning that the ties could put the strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi at risk.

In an opinion piece published by the Financial Times on Monday, Navarro argued that India is moving closer to both Russia and China and needs to act like a strategic partner of the United States.

He noted that continued purchases of Russian crude are turning India into a global hub for refining sanctioned oil into high-value exports, providing Moscow with much-needed dollar revenues.

The remarks came as the United States cancelled a planned visit by its trade negotiators to New Delhi from Aug. 25-29, weakening hopes for a trade deal that would ease additional tariffs on Indian goods from Aug. 27, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is preparing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month.