Washington, August 12: High-level diplomatic ties between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump will serve as the primary avenue for settling issues related to proposed tariffs on Russian oil purchases, White House Counsellor Peter Navarro affirmed. The legislative backdrop involves the recent Senate approval of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, a measure designed to give the US executive branch authority to levy tariffs reaching up to 100 per cent on goods from major buyers of Russian energy resources.
The strategic energy trade between India and Russia grew as Indian refiners optimized raw material procurement to secure stable domestic supplies during turmoil in international energy markets. Addressing media inquiries regarding the legislation, US officials noted that executive-level engagement remains the preferred framework for mutual solutions.
“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,” Peter Navarro asserted.
“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,” the trade advisor maintained.
The legislation approved by the Senate targets broader financial and energy sectors while establishing mechanisms regarding international energy commerce. US officials maintained that the close, multi-faceted relationship between New Delhi and Washington provides a reliable groundwork to navigate ongoing economic and trade matters harmoniously.
