Peter Navarro, Trump’s trade advise, sharply criticized India’s close ties with Russia and Prime Minister Modi’s high-profile meeting with Putin and Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in China, calling it “a shame.” Navarro reiterated his claim that India is the “Maharaja of tariffs,” alleging New Delhi imposes some of the world’s highest tariffs while denying the fact. Navarro’s remarks came amid growing US-India friction over tariffs and energy, while India defended its actions as necessary for domestic stability.