GG News Bureau
Washington, 9th Sept: Former US President Donald Trump’s trade advisor Peter Navarro has warned that it “won’t end well” for India if New Delhi does not soften its stance in trade talks with Washington. In a sharp attack, Navarro labelled India the “Maharaja of tariffs” and accused it of profiteering from discounted Russian crude oil after the Ukraine war.
Tariffs and Oil Dispute
In an interview with Real America’s Voice, Navarro alleged that India’s tariff regime was the most restrictive among major economies. “They have the highest tariffs in any major country in the world against the United States. We got to deal with that,” he said.
He further claimed that India, once a marginal buyer of Russian crude, began heavily purchasing discounted oil only after Western sanctions and the G7’s $60 price cap in 2022. While US officials acknowledged India’s role in maintaining global supply, Navarro accused New Delhi of profiteering at the expense of American taxpayers.
On China and Europe
Navarro urged India to stop buying Russian oil, calling it key to ending the Ukraine conflict. He also criticised Europe’s continued Russian energy purchases and defended the Trump-era tariff war on China. “We got over 50 per cent tariffs on them, and that’s the Kabuki and the art of diplomacy… you just got to trust in Trump,” he remarked.
Attack on BRICS
Turning his ire on the BRICS bloc, Navarro branded its members “vampires sucking America’s blood dry with unfair trade practices.” He questioned its longevity, claiming internal rivalries between Russia, China, India, and Brazil would eventually collapse the alliance. “Historically, they all hate each other and kill each other,” he said, while mocking China’s territorial claims on Vladivostok and its growing presence in Siberia.
He also criticised Brazil’s leadership under President Lula da Silva, claiming the country’s economy was “going down the tubes.”
Social Media Meltdown
Navarro’s remarks follow a series of spats on social media platform X, where he accused Indian users of manipulating polls after being fact-checked for spreading misinformation about India’s oil imports. “India has the largest population in the world & all it can do is manage few hundred thousand X propagandists to jerk around a poll? Too funny,” he wrote.
A poll he conducted on X showed 75% of over 56,000 participants supported his stance, though he dismissed dissenting voices as Indian propaganda.
The comments came shortly after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represented Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a BRICS virtual summit hosted by Brazil.
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