Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has criticised ex-President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, arguing that it has “shredded” decades of Western attempts to steer India away from its Cold War alignment with Russia and address the strategic challenge posed by China.
Bolton’s Criticism
In a series of posts on X, Bolton stated that Trump’s economic approach has undermined long-standing US and allied efforts to strengthen ties with India.
“The West has spent decades trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to the Soviet Union/Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,” Bolton wrote.
He further argued that Trump’s “unwillingness to consider diplomatic moves in a larger strategic context” has provided Chinese President Xi Jinping an opening “to reset the East.”
The criticism comes amid heightened economic tensions between New Delhi and Washington after the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, later supplemented by an additional 25 per cent duty in response to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
Bolton’s remarks followed the conclusion of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with both Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Modi and Xi acknowledged the importance of their countries’ economies in stabilising global trade, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs. In his talks with Putin, Modi highlighted the enduring India-Russia partnership, calling it essential for “global peace, stability, and prosperity.”
Putin, for his part, noted that 2025 marks the 15th anniversary of the India-Russia ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.’ (Inputs from ANI)
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