Peter Navarro, a trade advisor to former US President Donald Trump, has drawn strong condemnation from Indian social media users regarding his comments on India’s oil trade with Russia. Navarro accused Indian traders of exploiting the situation by profiting from Russian oil sales, and he further attributed blame for the Ukraine war to India.
The criticism intensified due to a post which included an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Navarro’s concluding remark, “The road to peace in Ukraine goes through New Delhi,” was widely perceived as disrespectful and inflammatory.
In response to Navarro’s statements, a social media user highlighted historical US actions, stating, “You armed Pakistan with free weapons for decades, not through sales. You never sold weapons to India, even when we offered to pay. We see your trap. India will manufacture domestically and rely on trusted partners who support our technology and economy. True partners have strategic foresight, unlike your colonial strategy.”
Another user responded by asserting India’s right to procure oil from any available source, writing, “India will continue to buy Oil from wherever its available.” One user referenced past geopolitical events, commenting, “Oh so now you have issues with India having relations with Russia same Russia who put nuclear between India and your nuclear submarines in 1971 which you tried to use to threaten India helping Pakistan.”