Washington, Aug. 29 -- US President Donald Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro targetted India's continued purchases of Russian oil and referred to the Ukraine conflict as "Modi's war", personalising and ratcheting up the intensity of what started as a trade spat between India and the US. Officials in the Trump administration have criticised New Delhi for fuelling Russia's "war machine" in Ukraine through its substantial oil purchases.

"Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing. Consumers, businesses, and workers lose because India's high tariffs cost us jobs, factories, and income. And then the taxpayers lose because we've got to fund Modi's war," said Navarro, who serves as Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufactur...