India Needs US, not Russia: Trump Aide
Navarro lambasted PM Modi for what he termed was "getting in bed with the authoritarian," describing the meeting as shameful
The White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has again attacked India, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China on Monday.
Speaking with reporters, Navarro lambasted PM Modi for what he termed was "getting in bed with the authoritarian," describing the meeting as shameful. He urged India to align with the US, Europe, and Ukraine instead of Russia, and to stop purchasing discounted crude oil from Moscow.
"It was a shame to see Modi getting in bed as a leader of the biggest democracy in the world with the two biggest authoritarian dictators in the world — Putin and Xi Jinping. That doesn't make any sense. I am not sure what he's thinking. We hope he comes around to seeing that he needs to be with us, Europe and Ukraine not Russia," Navarro said.
This follows the trade adviser’s earlier remarks shortly after PM Modi held a bilateral with Xi Jinping in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO. "Modi's a great leader... But I don't understand why he's getting into bed with Putin and Xi Jinping...when he's the leader of the biggest democracy in the world. I would just simply say to the Indian people. Please, understand what's going on here. You've got Brahmins profiteering at the expense of the Indian people. We need that to stop," Navarro had said.
Navarro's comments come amid rising friction between Washington and New Delhi following the 50 per cent tariffs imposed on Indian goods, which include a 25 per cent penalty for buying Russian oil.
At the SCO summit, PM Modi stressed the need to boost connectivity between members to strengthen trade. "India has always believed that strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust," he said.
Russian President Putin highlighted that dialogue within the SCO helps lay the foundation for a new Eurasian security system, replacing outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models. "The SCO is steadily increasing its influence in addressing international issues. National currencies are being used more widely in mutual settlements for trade among SCO countries. The pace of development of cooperation within the SCO is impressive," Putin said.
Additionally, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to uphold fairness and justice while addressing the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.