Dawn
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13:03 Aug 18, 2025
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro on Monday said India’s purchases of Russian crude were funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine and had to stop. New Delhi was “now cosying up to both Russia and China”, Navarro wrote in an opinion piece published in the Financial Times today. “If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the United States, it needs to start acting like one.” India’s Foreign Ministry has previously said the country is being unfairly singled out for buying Russian oil while the US and European Union continue to purchase goods from Russia. US President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods earlier this month, citing New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil. The move will take total tariffs on imports from India to 50pc. “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. The adviser also said India’s close ties with Russia and China made ...