Peter Navarro slams India’s Russian oil trade, clashes with Elon Musk after X flags his post with a community note. Photos/X.
It is Elon Musk vs White House advisor Peter Navarro, and there is an Indian connection in the whole controversy. Navarro, who has been targeting India over Russian oil, on Sunday posted on X, again targeting India’s Russian oil imports. The post however, was flagged with a community note on X. This irritated the trade advisor and lambasted Musk.
Navarro accused India of trading with Russia “purely to profit/Revenues feed Russia war machine.” X users fact-checked him, pointing out that India’s oil imports were largely for energy security and did not violate sanctions.
The note also highlighted that while India imposes some tariffs, the United States maintains a trade surplus with India in services and continues to import certain commodities from Russia, calling Navarro’s stance hypocritical.
Navarro dismissed the note as “crap” and criticized Elon Musk for “letting propaganda into people’s posts.” He doubled down on his accusations, claiming India only began buying Russian oil after the Ukraine invasion and was “solely profiteering.”
“That crap note below is just that. Crap. India buys Russia oil solely to profiteer. It didn’t buy any before Russia invaded Ukraine. Indian govt spin machine moving high tilt. Stop killing Ukrainians. Stop taking American jobs,” Navarro wrote.
This post is the latest in a series of Navarro’s allegations against India over Russian oil trade, particularly after the US President announced 50 percent tariffs on Indian imports.
In a recent post, Navarro wrote:, “FACTS: India highest tariffs costs U.S. jobs. India buys Russian oil purely to profit/Revenues feed Russia war machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. U.S. taxpayers shell out more. India can’t handle truth/spins @washpo Leftist American fake news.”
He was referring to a Washington Post article which said that the language being used toward India from Washington was worsening diplomatic ties. Previously, Navarro has used terms like ‘Maharaja of tariffs’, ‘laundromat for the Kremlin’, and ‘Modi’s war in Ukraine’ to criticize India.
Navarro’s recent remark, “Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of Indian people,” was rejected by India as inaccurate. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Friday, “We have seen some inaccurate statements made by him. We reject them.”
President Trump’s additional 25 percent duties on Indian imports took effect on August 27, taking total tariffs to 50 percent. The additional penalties were imposed by Trump citing India’s purchase of Russian oil.
Also Read: “India buys Russian oil purely to feed Russia war machine”: WH Trade Advisor Peter Navarro
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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