US-India Relations At Risk? Ex-US NSA Bolton Warns Trump’s Tariffs Could Aid Russia, China | India News
New Delhi: Former US National Security Advisor, John Bolton warned President Donald Trump that tariff measures aimed at underwater Russia can actually have the opposite effect and potentially bring the new Delhi closer to Moscow and Beijing.
Speaking with CNN, Bolton said, “Trump’s tariffs against India aim to harm Russia, but they can bring India closer to Russia and China to oppose these tariffs.”
Bolton criticized Trump for weakening decades of diplomatic efforts to remove the US from its long -standing relations with Russia and China. Tariffs applied to India due to the acquisition of Russian oil are justified by Trump rightly by Trump and a secondary tariff with a secondary tariff and more than 50% when it is necessary to prevent India from financing Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine.
However, Bolton said that the tariffs triggered the “worst result” for Washington, because India responded negatively after observing that China is not exposed to similar tariffs. He warned that this inconsistency could further force US-India relations.
Bolton also drew attention to Trump’s softer attitude over China, despite the first trade conflict in April. Trump paused more climbing with Beijing with the expectation of a potential agreement. In contrast, aggressive trade penalties over India were prejudiced by many people and strategically defective.
In an OP-ED, which was broadcasted on the hill, Bolton emphasized that the White House’s tolerance against China could take a serious strategic wrong step compared to Indian treatment. “The White House seems to be more softly treated for Beijing than tariff rates and other metrics.
In addition to concerns, Christopher Padilla, a former US trade official and foreign policy expert, warned that these tariffs could cause long-term damage to US-Indian relations. Padilla, especially if the tariffs are remembered in future diplomatic relations, emphasized the risk of India to start questioning the reliability of the United States as a strategic partner.
So far, additional tariffs have not deterred India from buying oil from Russia. Instead, India defended its actions by labeling US trade penalties as “unfair and unreasonable”. Russia supported India, accusing the US of implementing an illegal trade pressure just a week before a planned meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Bolton, this upcoming summit can provide Putin a strategic advantage and possibly allow Indian tariff problem to advance its geopolitical goals.
