'Don't do that': Trump aide hits back after 'firebomb' backlash from India over Russian oil remarks

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has hit back at criticism from India over his remarks on New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil, saying he faced a wave of online attacks and urging his critics to stop.

“I actually got firebombed by the Indian continent on the internet with all sorts of nasty little attacks. And all I would say is, don't do that. That's not how we resolve problems here in America,” he told reporters at the White House on Tuesday.

Navarro has repeatedly criticised India’s trade policies and its continued purchase of Russian oil. He has also called India the “Maharaja of tariffs” while defending US retaliatory tariffs against New Delhi.

Navarro defends Russian oil remarks

Navarro said India was not involved in the Russian oil trade before Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. According to him, India’s involvement grew after the war began, with the country also selling refined products on Russia’s behalf.

"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," he said.

The Trump aide claimed the issue had now been resolved and suggested he had played a role in reducing India’s purchases of Russian oil.

"Maybe, I had a little bit to do with that with that op-ed," Navarro said, referring to an opinion piece he wrote for the Financial Times.

‘Laundromat for the Kremlin’

Navarro has previously used strong language while attacking India’s oil trade with Russia. In his Financial Times article, he described the trade as “opportunistic” and “corrosive” to efforts to isolate Russia’s economy.

He accused India of providing financial support to Russia through its oil purchases and said American and European taxpayers were being forced to spend more on Ukraine’s defence.

A few days later, Navarro escalated his criticism, calling India a "laundromat for the Kremlin". He also referred to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as "Modi's war" and claimed Moscow used oil revenues to fund its war effort.

India rejects Navarro’s claims

India had previously rejected Navarro’s comments on its Russian oil purchases.

“We have seen the inaccurate and misleading statements made by Mr Navarro and obviously reject them,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in September last year.