Donald Trump’s trade czar Peter Navarro has said “Brahmins are profiteering” from India’s Russian oil trade in remarks that raises eyebrows not only because it’s the first time a senior US official has made a casteist aspersion but also because the allegation goes against the US President’s aversion to DEI – diversity, equity, and inclusion – in any sphere of life or policy.
On the Sunday Morning Futures programme on Fox News, the White House senior counsellor for trade was asked if the implementation of extra tariffs on India were enough to choke Vladimir Putin.
“Let's be clear, we have 50 per cent tariffs now on India, but we also have a little over 50 per cent tariffs on China. So the question is, how much higher do you want to go without actually hurting ourselves,” Navarro replied.
“But let's talk about the India issue because the only thing you have to know is that before
Putin invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, India didn't buy Russian oil to speak of; very, very small amounts.
“What happened? Well, the Russian refiners went in and got into bed with big oil in India.
Putin gives Modi a discount on the crude, they refine it and they ship it to Europe, Africa and Asia at a big premium and they make a tonne of money,” he said.
“Now, what's wrong with that picture? Well, it fuels the Russian war machine. India's nothing but a laundromat for the Kremlin. It kills Ukrainians. And what we have to do as taxpayers, we've got to send them more money so Ukraine can defend themselves.”
He also made it clear it’s not just about Russian oil, as US treasury secretary Scott Bessent had spelt out earlier.
“On top of that, by the way, 25 per cent of the 50 per cent is because India's the maharaja of tariffs. They have the highest tariffs in the world. They export us a bunch of stuff. They won't let us sell to them,” Navarro said.
“So who gets hurt? Workers in America, taxpayers in America, Ukrainians in cities getting killed by Russian drones.
“Modi's a great leader,” he added. “I don't understand why he's getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping when he's the biggest democracy in the world.
“So I would just simply say to the Indian people, please understand what's going on here.
You've got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop,” he said.
Navarro has been the most hawkish of all the US officials and has constantly attacked India. Last week, he shot off a series of posts on X that he ended with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in saffron robes and the words: “The road to peace in Ukraine runs through New Delhi.”
India’s Russia oil sale profits, he had written in the thread, “flow to India’s politically connected energy titans—and directly into Putin’s war chest.”
The White House trade adviser had a day earlier told Bloomberg that the Russia-Ukraine conflict is “Modi’s war”. He also wrote a ferocious opinion piece in London’s Financial Times slamming India.
