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Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton slammed Trump for pushing Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to Russia and China.
Former US NSA John Bolton has criticised the Trump administration’s tariffs on India. (Image: AP/File)
Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Thursday slammed US President Donald Trump for pushing Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to Russia and China. Bolton’s response came in reference to Trump’s 50% tariffs imposed on India, ruining decades of hard work by the previous US administration.
Taking to X, Bolton stated, “The White House has set US-India relations back decades, pushing Modi closer to Russia and China. Beijing has cast itself as an alternative to the US and Donald Trump.”
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The White House has set U.S.-India relations back decades, pushing Modi closer to Russia and China. Beijing has cast itself as an alternative to the U.S. and Donald Trump.https://t.co/klFKyh1BrK— John Bolton (@AmbJohnBolton) September 3, 2025
The ex-US NSA slammed Trump’s tariff policy, asserting that it has “shredded” decades of Western efforts to align India away from its Cold War ties with the then Soviet Union (Russia) and address the growing threat from China.
Bolton further accused Trump of jeopardising strategic gains with his economic approach and suggested that the policy has handed Chinese President Xi Jinping an opportunity to reshape the geopolitical landscape in the East.
“Donald Trump’s unwillingness to consider diplomatic moves in a larger strategic context has given Xi Jinping an opportunity to reset the East,” the former American government official, who served as national security adviser (2018-19) to Donald Trump in his first stint as US President, said.
Bolton reportedly resigned from his position over differences with Trump on the administration’s foreign policy at that time.
His remarks come at a time when New Delhi is facing global uncertainties due to heightened economic tensions following the US imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports, which was supplemented by an additional 25 per cent due to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
Recently, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin.
(With agency inputs)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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