Trump adviser says Indians abused him on social media:Criticised India over Russian oil, says this does not happen in US

US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro has claimed that he faced abuse on social media after criticising India’s purchase of Russian oil. Speaking to reporters in Washington on Tuesday, Navarro said, “I wrote an article about India’s energy policy during the Russia-Ukraine war. I criticised India for buying Russian oil. After it was published, I faced criticism from Indian users on social media.” Why do India and the US disagree over Russian oil purchases? Navarro’s remarks come at a time when India and the US are at odds over India’s purchase of Russian oil. After the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, Russia started selling crude oil at lower prices. India took advantage of the lower prices and began buying large quantities of oil from Russia. The US and several Western countries argue that the more Russian oil India buys, the more money Russia receives, which it can use to fund the war. Navarro has also repeatedly claimed that India buys cheap crude oil from Russia, refines it into products such as petrol and diesel, and then sells them to other countries. India, however, says it buys oil based on its own needs and national interests to ensure affordable and adequate fuel supplies for its people. Navarro says Modi and Trump will resolve tariff issue Navarro also said that President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have a very good relationship. He said the two leaders would resolve the issue of the 100% tariff linked to Russian oil between themselves. On July 31, the US Senate passed a bill by a vote of 86-11 that could impose tariffs of up to 100% on five countries, including India. However, the bill has not yet become law. It will now be sent to the lower chamber of the US Congress, the House of Representatives. Under the bill, tariffs of up to 100% could be imposed on India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. The aim is to reduce Russia’s earnings from oil and weaken its ability to continue the war. 100% tariff was proposed after an initial 500% plan On July 23, a proposal was made to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying oil and gas from Russia. The initial draft of the bill proposed a 500% tariff, but this was later reduced to 100%. India bought more than half of its oil from Russia in June In June 2026, India bought a record 2.61 million barrels of crude oil per day from Russia, accounting for 52.4% of the country’s total oil imports. This means that more than one out of every two barrels of oil imported by India that month came from Russia. Russia continues to be India’s largest oil supplier. Compared with May, India’s oil imports from Russia rose by around 39% in June.