India on Friday refrained from commenting on US President Donald Trump’s claim that New Delhi appeared to be aligning with Moscow and Beijing. However, the government strongly rejected White House trade advisor Peter Navarro’s accusations regarding India’s energy and defence ties with Russia, terming his remarks “inaccurate and misleading.”
This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Sharing a photo of the three leaders, Trump posted on social media: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”
When asked about these comments, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “I have no comments to offer on this post at this moment.”
NAVARRO’S ACCUSATIONS AGAINST INDIA
Peter Navarro, one of the strongest critics of India in Trump’s administration, accused New Delhi of turning into an “oil money laundromat for the Kremlin.” He alleged that India was using trade revenues from the US to buy discounted Russian crude, refine it, and sell it globally, thereby aiding Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. Navarro went as far as calling the Ukraine conflict “Modi’s war” – remarks India dismissed outright.
He further criticised India’s continued purchase of Russian military equipment while seeking advanced technology transfers from American defence firms, calling it “strategic freeloading.”
INDIA’S FIRM RESPONSE
Rejecting Navarro’s charges, Jaiswal emphasised that India’s energy and defence decisions are guided by national interest and energy security. “We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr Navarro and obviously reject them,” he said.
India has defended its oil imports from Russia since 2022, maintaining that its decisions are consistent with its economic needs and not directed against any third country.
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