Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has launched a sharp critique of President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, warning that they have undone decades of painstaking Western efforts to bring India closer to the United States and away from its historic dependence on Russia.

In a series of posts on X, Bolton argued that Trump’s economic approach — which includes imposing a steep 50 percent tariff on Indian imports, further raised by 25 percent due to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil — has jeopardised Washington’s strategic leverage in Asia.

According to Bolton, this move not only disrupts the India-US partnership but also hands Chinese President Xi Jinping an opening to recalibrate the geopolitical balance in the Indo-Pacific.

Bolton emphasised that for years, successive US administrations worked to wean India off its Cold War-era attachment to Moscow and to alert New Delhi to the long-term risks posed by Beijing. He argued that Trump’s refusal to place trade decisions within a broader diplomatic and strategic framework has undermined this progress, effectively “shredding” US gains in South Asia.

The timing of his remarks coincides with the conclusion of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral discussions with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During his meeting with Xi, Modi highlighted the stabilising role of the Indian and Chinese economies in global trade, while in his engagement with Putin, he underscored India’s durable ties with Russia, characterising the partnership as one that has endured the harshest global challenges.

Putin, on his part, reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations, noting that 2025 marks 15 years of the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” between Moscow and New Delhi. Against this backdrop, Bolton’s warnings reflect growing concerns within Washington’s foreign policy circles that America’s tariff-heavy strategy risks alienating India at a critical time, potentially pushing New Delhi closer to both Moscow and Beijing — an outcome that would significantly weaken the West’s long-term influence in Asia.

Based On ANI Report