NEW DELHI – Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has publicly criticized President Donald Trump for saying he was able to bring peace between India and Pakistan and for putting tariffs on New Delhi. This is a strong criticism of the Trump administration’s foreign policy. Bolton, who was once the US Ambassador to the UN, told media that Trump’s actions were “inappropriate” and the outcome of “erratic behavior.”
Bolton’s statements come after Trump has said many times that he was responsible for the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after a fight in May. India, on the other hand, has always said that the de-escalation was caused by direct negotiations between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two nations’ militaries and has rejected any mediation by a third party.
Bolton said that “a lot of people in Washington” were worried that Trump’s comments, along with the new tariffs, were “inappropriate.”
Last month, the Trump administration put a 25% tax on goods coming from India and a 25% tax on oil and weapons that New Delhi buys from Moscow. Bolton asked why these steps were taken, noting that nations like China, Turkey, and Pakistan, which also buy a lot of Russian oil, were not subject to the same penalties.
Bolton added, “This shows how unpredictable Trump can be. He hasn’t punished Russia or China, which buys more than India, or other countries like Turkey and Pakistan.” He said that the sanctions were “an unusual way to deal with Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine” that isn’t part of a normal trade conversation.
Bolton told India to be realistic about the problems it has and to look at the situation from a long-term point of view. He told the Indian government to “treat Trump as a one-time phenomenon,” meaning that his actions are not typical of many Americans. Bolton said that India’s calm approach was the best way to deal with someone like Trump because public conflicts would just make things worse. He said that “back-channel diplomacy” was the best method to manage someone like Trump.
He also said that Trump’s pressure tactics are more “theatrical” than “strategic” and are mostly meant to have an influence on politics at home. Bolton said that this kind of behavior has made people across the world less sure that the US is a good ally.
The former NSA ended by saying that India should think about its relationship with the U.S. in the long run, working to improve ties, limit harm during Trump’s term, and fix any problems that come up after he leaves office.