Navarro Blasts Modi for Meeting with Putin and Jinping at SCO Summit, Calls for India to Side with US

Peter Navarro, the White House trade advisor, has issued harsh criticism of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his meeting with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in China. Navarro labeled the meeting as ‘shameful’ and accused Modi of ‘getting in bed with the authoritarian.’ He urged India to prioritize its relationships with the US, Europe, and Ukraine, instead of Russia, and to cease buying discounted Russian oil. Navarro’s condemnation echoes previous comments made after Modi’s bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping. He expressed bewilderment at Modi’s alliances and appealed to the Indian people to understand the implications. These remarks come as tensions rise between the US and India, particularly due to tariffs on Indian goods and penalties related to Russian oil purchases. At the SCO summit, Modi advocated for improved connectivity to boost trade, while Putin discussed the SCO’s role in a new Eurasian security model and Xi Jinping called for fairness and justice within the organization.