Donald Trump’s Trade Advisor Peter Navarro on Monday intensified his online feud with Elon Musk while launching a new attack on India for purchasing Russian oil. In a post on X, Navarro used an expletive and claimed that India had not imported Russian oil in significant volumes before the Ukraine war.

“Fact: India didn’t buy Russian oil in large quantities before Russia invaded Ukraine. It’s blood money and people are dying,” Navarro wrote.

His comments followed a heated exchange with Musk after Community Notes flagged Navarro’s earlier claims as misleading. Accusing Musk of allowing “crap notes,” Navarro insisted that India was profiting from discounted Russian crude while Ukrainians suffered.

Responding, Musk defended X’s fact-checking process: “On this platform, the people decide the narrative. Community Notes corrects everyone, no exceptions. Notes data & code is public source. Grok provides further fact-checking.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed Navarro’s remarks, calling them “inaccurate and misleading.” Officials reiterated that India’s energy purchases are guided by national interests and global market stability.

Navarro has repeatedly criticized India’s foreign policy, questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent engagements with Russian and Chinese leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin. “India needs to be with us, not Russia,” he said.

While Navarro’s sharp rhetoric has drawn headlines, Trump himself has often praised the India-US relationship, describing it as “very special.” Although he previously suggested that Washington was “losing” India to China, Trump later clarified his stance, affirming friendship with Prime Minister Modi. Modi reciprocated, saying he values and fully acknowledges Trump’s support.

The clash underscores rising political tensions over Ukraine, global energy flows, and the role of social media platforms in shaping public narratives.