Washington, August 12: US Presidential Counsellor Peter Navarro declared that President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintain a strong working relationship and will directly address concerns surrounding proposed tariffs on nations purchasing Russian energy. The statement comes in the wake of the US Senate passing the bipartisan Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by an 86-11 vote, which grants the US President discretionary authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on top importers of Russian oil and natural gas. India expanded its procurement of discounted crude following global market disruptions in 2022 to meet national energy requirements and ensure uninterrupted domestic supplies.
Reflecting on bilateral trade discussions and previous commentary, official representatives expressed optimism that high-level dialogue between the two leaders would guide future cooperation.
“During the Ukraine-Russia war, 6-8 months ago, I think I wrote an op-ed in the Financial Times, which absolutely factually correctly pointed out that prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved and was selling a lot of refined products on behalf of Russia, which helped feed the war machine. And that issue has been resolved. Maybe I had a little bit to do with that with that op-ed, but I can tell you, I got actually firebombed by the Indian continent on the internet. All I would say to you, don’t do that,” Peter Navarro stated.
“That’s not how we resolve problems here in America. With respect to your question, 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 or any gaggle to get between that,” the presidential counsellor added.
The broader legislative measure passed by the Senate seeks to extend sanctions across financial institutions, energy developments, and oil transport networks associated with Moscow’s trade. While the bill presents foreign energy buyers with choices regarding access to the US market, White House officials affirmed that constructive communication between India and the United States will remain central to resolving trade questions
