India on Friday firmly rejected White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro's remarks as "inaccurate and misleading," following his accusations that New Delhi acts as an "oil money laundromat for the Kremlin" and engages in "strategic freeloading." External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Navarro and obviously reject them."

Navarro's social media posts last week criticised India for continuing to procure discounted Russian crude oil and weapons amid Western sanctions over Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion while pushing US firms for sensitive military tech transfers and manufacturing setups. "If India, the world's largest democracy, wants to be treated like a strategic partner of the US, it needs to act like one," he asserted.

The rebuttal comes amid strained US-India ties, exacerbated by President Donald Trump's imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% levy tied to Russian oil buys (effective immediately, with additional duties from August 27). India labelled the measures "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable", questioning why it was targeted while China, the top importer of Russian oil, faces no penalties.

Also Read: Navarro Calls PM Modi’s Ties with Xi, Putin “Troublesome”

Defending its energy strategy, India emphasised decisions driven by national interests and market dynamics. Russian oil's share in India's imports surged from 1.7% in 2019-20 to 35.1% in 2024-25, fuelled by post-sanction discounts, making Russia its largest supplier. The episode highlights growing tensions in bilateral relations, with New Delhi maintaining that its procurement aligns with economic pragmatism rather than geopolitical alignment.

Also Read: Trump Aide’s Controversial Caste Slur on India’s Oil Trade