His remarks came hours before the likely India arrival of Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia.
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro, who has been targeting India over Russian oil imports lately, once again reiterated his charge that New Delhi funds Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Speaking with CNBC International, Navarro said that India began purchasing Russian Federation oil immediately after the invasion of Ukraine.
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“Indian refiners were in bed with Russian refiners immediately after the invasion… It’s crazy stuff, because they make money off us via unfair trade and many workers get screwed. They use that money to buy Russian oil, and Russians use that to buy weapons,” Navarro said.
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He, however, acknowledged that the US and India have resumed negotiations for a trade deal.
“India is coming to the table. On the trade side, they have very high tariffs,” he added.
His remarks came hours before the likely India arrival of Brendan Lynch, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia.
Lynch is expected to land in New Delhi on Monday night to hold trade negotiations with Indian officials.
He is expected to meet Rajesh Agarwal, the chief negotiator of India on Tuesday, September 16.
Trade negotiations are back on track after the recent social media exchange between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Both leaders heaped praise on each other, with Trump confirming that negotiations will resume to address the trade barriers.
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