Washington, August 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will work directly to resolve differences between Washington and New Delhi over India’s purchases of Russian oil and the threat of steep US tariffs, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.
“The President and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves, and it’s not for me in any gaggle to get between that,” Navarro told reporters at the White House.
He was responding to a question about legislation linked to the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham that could pave the way for tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries purchasing Russian energy.
Asked whether the proposed tariffs, along with ongoing trade negotiations, could further strain India-US relations, Navarro did not directly address the potential tariff. Instead, he referred to an opinion article he had written for the Financial Times several months ago regarding India’s energy trade with Russia.
Navarro said he had argued that India’s purchases of Russian oil increased significantly after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” he said.
He also accused India of selling products linked to Russian oil and alleged that the trade had helped finance Moscow’s war effort, but did not provide supporting figures.
Navarro subsequently said the issue had been resolved, without specifying what action had been taken or whether he was referring to crude oil purchases, petroleum product exports or another aspect of bilateral trade.
“And that issue has been resolved,” he said, adding, “Maybe I had a little bit to do with that with that op-ed.”
His comments came as India and the US continued negotiations on trade-related issues.
Defending the Trump administration’s broader tariff policy, Navarro said the measures were encouraging foreign companies to establish manufacturing facilities in the US and were also boosting domestic investment.
He acknowledged that inflation continued to create economic difficulties for Americans but argued that the administration’s tax, trade and deregulation policies were beginning to produce results, particularly in construction and manufacturing.
The US Senate last week passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by an 86-11 vote. The legislation authorises tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas, as well as the five leading countries involved in sanctions evasion.
However, the legislation does not automatically designate India as a target for such tariffs.
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