India, Aug. 18 -- White House trade advisor Peter Navarro sharply criticised India for purchasing Russian energy and defence equipment, pledging to "hit India where it hurts" in order to change New Delhi's policy. In an opinion piece for the Financial Times, Navarro termed India's oil trade with Russia "opportunistic" and "corrosive" to global efforts being made to isolate the Russian economy.

A former economics professor who emerged as a major trade adviser to US President Donald Trump in his first administration, Navarro is seen as a major force behind the US's retaliatory tariffs on trading partners. In his article, Navarro sought to link what he termed as India's "high" trade tariffs and "financial support" for Russia's war in Ukrain...