In a move seen as escalating tensions in US-India relations, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on August 18, 2025, lambasted India’s imports of discounted Russian crude oil, labeling them opportunistic and claiming they fund Moscow’s actions in Ukraine while undermining global isolation efforts against Russia. Navarro, in a Financial Times op-ed, warned that India’s energy dealings, which surged to over 30% of its crude imports since Russia’s 2022 invasion, could jeopardize strategic partnerships and access to US markets, with the Trump administration imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods effective August 1, 2025, and threatening an additional 25% from August 27, potentially totaling 50% amid a $45.7 billion US trade deficit in 2024. Indian officials swiftly condemned the tariffs as unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable, asserting that the nation’s energy security and economic interests must take precedence, with New Delhi vowing to safeguard its sovereignty and pursue balanced international ties without compromising on vital imports essential for domestic needs and refining exports.