The United States has ramped up pressure on India to cut off its energy imports from Russia, with White House trade adviser Peter Navarro stating that India’s purchases of Russian crude oil are funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine and must stop.
“India acts as a global clearinghouse for Russian oil, converting embargoed crude into high-value exports while giving Moscow the dollars it needs,” Navarro wrote in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times.
Navarro accused India of being “opportunistic” and criticized its dependence on Russian crude, saying it is “deeply corrosive of the world’s efforts to isolate Putin’s war economy”.
India is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil, after China, with more than 30% of its fuel sourced from Moscow, providing revenue to the Kremlin amid Western sanctions.
The US has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods over the issue, straining US-India ties. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded defiantly, pledging to protect his country’s farmers in the face of high tariffs slapped by the Trump administration.
“Modi will stand like a wall against any policy that threatens their interests. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers,” he said.
India counts Russia among its closest defense partners, with the bulk of its weapons sourced from Moscow. Despite this, New Delhi has been cultivating ties with Washington, raising their relations to a strategic level, with annual bilateral trade of $128 billion. However, Trump has been pushing to lower the $45 billion deficit in India’s favor.
The recent actions by the Trump administration seem to have pushed India to mend ties with its rival, China. Indian Prime Minister Modi is set to travel to China at the end of the month, while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is arriving in India for talks on the disputed border between the two countries.
Navarro pointed out that India is “cozying up” to Russia and China, saying, “If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the US, it needs to start acting like one.”
India’s Foreign Ministry has pushed back, saying the country is being “unfairly singled out” for buying Russian oil while the US and European Union continue to buy goods from Russia.
The EU and US trade much more with Russia than India does, although this trade has dipped significantly since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
According to the EU, its total trade with Russia was worth 67.5 billion euros ($77.9 billion) in 2024, a fall from 257.5 billion euros ($297.4 billion) in 2021.
The bloc also continues to buy Russian gas, with imports worth $105.6 billion since the war began, equivalent to 75% of Russia’s 2024 military budget.
The US-India relationship has become increasingly transactional, with both sides working to pursue their policy interests while finding avenues for strategic convergence.
Experts believe that India won’t give up on Russia or its strategic autonomy, even as areas of friction with the US grow.