Trump aide says Ukraine conflict is ‘Modi’s War’

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Wednesday told Bloomberg that Russia-Ukraine conflict was “Modi’s war”, repeating accusations that New Delhi is funding the Kremlin’s military campaign.

Navarro’s statement came on the day the 50% tariff rate on goods imported from India to the US took effect.

The Donald Trump administration had announced on August 6 that it would double the tariffs on goods imported from India to 50% for purchasing Russian oil amid the Ukraine war. A 25% so-called reciprocal tariff had already taken effect.

Trump has repeatedly alleged that India’s imports were fuelling Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In an interview to the American news network, Navarro said that by purchasing Russian oil “at a discount”, India was helping Russia and harming the US, which in turn has to finance Ukrainian defence.

He added that he was describing it as “Modi’s war” because “the road to peace runs, in part, through New Delhi”.

The Trump aide claimed that “everybody in America” was losing because of India’s actions.

“Consumers, businesses, workers lose because India’s high tariffs cost us jobs and factories and income and higher wages,” he said. “And then the tax payers lose, because we’ve got to fund Modi’s war.”

Navarro also criticised New Delhi’s stance on its trade policy.

“What’s troubling to me is that the Indians are so arrogant about this,” Navarro said....

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