India, Aug. 22 -- White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro has made some starling and serious allegations against India. In his opinion piece in a leading newspaper earlier this week Navarro claimed that "what really drives this trade is profiteering by India's big oil lobby", "refiners buy Russian crude at a heavy discount, process it, and then export fuels to Europe, Africa, and Asia."

On Friday he accused New Delhi of acting as a "laundromat for the Kremlin" by purchasing discounted Russian crude oil, refining it, and selling the products at premium prices worldwide. India's actions were "perpetuating the war" in Ukraine, he also claimed, dismissing India's assertions that Russian imports were essential for its energy security.

What N...