Overview

• White House trade adviser Peter Navarro accused India of buying Russian crude solely for profit and said the purchases feed Russia’s war effort, then denounced an X Community Note as “propaganda.”
• X’s crowdsourced note called his assertions hypocritical, citing India’s energy security rationale, the legality of its purchases under sanctions, and ongoing U.S. imports of Russian commodities such as uranium.
• Elon Musk defended Community Notes, saying the feature corrects everyone with no exceptions and that its data and code are public, reinforcing a people-driven fact-check on the platform.
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed Navarro’s remarks as inaccurate and misleading, as New Delhi continues to frame energy decisions as sovereign choices tied to security needs.
• The online clash overlays August tariff actions by the Trump administration that lifted total U.S. duties on Indian goods to 50%, including a 25% penalty linked to India’s Russian oil purchases, and Navarro has since launched an X poll alleging foreign interference.