Key Points

Speaking exclusively with ANI, Pavneet Singh stated that Navarro's accusations that India is "funding" Russia's war in Ukraine by buying Russian oil, calling it a "laundromat for the Kremlin" could take two decades to rebuild trust between the two nations, as Indians "never forgive or forget."

Singh suggested that US President Donald Trump wants a "sycophant" around him, and Peter Navarro is scoring very high with repetitive attacks on India to blame New Delhi for the Russia-Ukraine war, alleging that India is "funding" Russia by purchasing discounted crude oil.

"Trump's kitchen cabinet is like this. You can see JD Vance when Trump speaks about anything. He claps like a servant. He wants to become the next president. Trump's psychology is like that. He wants sycophants around him, and Navarro is scoring very high," Pavneet Singh said.

"What Americans don't realise is that we (Indians) people never forget and never forgive. It will take two decades to recover from the distrust that you are creating. Indians' trust in Americans is already relatively low because of the past, but with these kinds of activities and statements, the distrust for America will rise further," he added.

Navarro has repeatedly criticised India for purchasing discounted crude oil from Russia, terming the Ukraine war as "PM Modi's war" while accusing India of acting as a "laundromat for the Kremlin." The White House Trade Advisor's meltdown also includes casteist remarks as he alleged that "Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people" due to New Delhi's action, exposing Navarro's limited understanding of India.

The US has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, including an additional 25 per cent due to its purchase of Russian crude oil.

A few days after the tariffs came into effect, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin and held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

PM Modi's meeting with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin drew a concerned response from Donald Trump as he said, "Looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China."

Geopolitics Expert Pavneet Singh backed PM Modi's decision to attend the SCO Summit as he believed it sent a clear message that the US can't dictate India's engagements with other countries.

"SCO was important to give a message to the Americans. They believed that they could puncture India's strategic autonomy. Our foreign policy has experienced this change, and we are not going to look at everything through an ideological lens. India has realised that today's world is geopolitically vulnerable and complicated, and you have to give an instant reaction," Pavneet Singh said.

"A clear message has been sent by attending the SCO Summit that you (US) don't have any authority to puncture our strategic autonomy and dictate our engagements. I think the message was delivered to Americans," he added.

However, in recent days, the leaders of both countries have signalled a willingness to improve the relations as New Delhi and Washington are engaged in trade negotiations.

PM Modi on Wednesday described New Delhi and Washington as "natural partners" and said he was confident about the progress of the negotiations. The PM also expressed his willingness to speak to Trump.

"India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people," PM Modi wrote on X on Wednesday, which was reposted by Trump.

Trump also expressed confidence in reaching a "successful conclusion" and looked forward to speaking with PM Modi in the upcoming weeks.

- ANI