A senior aide to U.S. President Donald Trump has issued one of the administration’s strongest rebukes yet toward India, accusing New Delhi of helping finance Russia’s war in Ukraine through continued oil imports.

Speaking on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said the president had made it “very clear” that India’s purchases from Moscow were unacceptable.

“The scale of these imports is astonishing — India is basically tied with China in buying Russian oil,” Miller said, adding that such transactions were “directly funding the war.”

The criticism underscores mounting frustration in Washington over India’s refusal to scale back trade with Russia, despite close strategic ties between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Indian Embassy in Washington has not yet commented on Miller’s remarks, but Indian officials said over the weekend that the country would continue buying Russian oil, citing national interest and energy security.

In response, the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on Indian products starting Friday. Trump has also threatened to levy 100% tariffs on imports from any nation purchasing Russian oil unless Moscow agrees to a significant peace deal with Ukraine.

Despite the hard line, Miller stressed that Trump still values his relationship with Modi, describing it as “tremendous” — a sign the administration may still seek a diplomatic off-ramp.

India has consistently defended its position, arguing that affordable energy is essential for its population of 1.4 billion. But the dispute is emerging as a key fault line in U.S.-India relations as Washington pushes allies to tighten economic pressure on the Kremlin.