Former United States National Security Adviser John Bolton has endorsed India’s strategy of maintaining silence and relying on back-channel diplomacy while handling tariff disputes with the Trump administration. He described New Delhi’s cautious approach as the “best way” to engage with Donald Trump, warning that joining confrontational public exchanges would have only escalated tensions rather than resolved them.

Bolton emphasised that Washington, at the time, was apprehensive over two simultaneous issues: trade tariffs and Trump’s efforts to take credit for easing India–Pakistan tensions after a terror attack in Kashmir. He said many in Washington viewed Trump’s attempt as inappropriate, adding to the complications in bilateral relations.

The former NSA also remarked on India’s defence and economic ties with Russia. He advised New Delhi to gradually reduce its dependence on Moscow, pointing to Russia’s tightening alignment with China under the Putin–Xi “no-limits partnership.” Bolton stressed that India’s long-term interests would be better served by deepening engagement with the United States, not signalling closeness with the Beijing–Moscow bloc.

On trade talks, Bolton revealed that both sides had been close to resolving tariff disagreements before Trump suddenly escalated matters by declaring steep hikes.

According to him, both Indian and US negotiators had nearly reached common ground, but New Delhi was caught unprepared by Trump’s abrupt announcement of a 25% tariff. Despite this, Bolton expressed optimism that continued negotiations could eventually open both economies further.

Bolton was also critical of Trump’s broader trade war strategies, which he argued undermined American credibility and long-term diplomatic capital. He said Washington had built goodwill over decades, only for those resources to be consumed by Trump’s unpredictable approach to economic conflicts.

Turning to internal dynamics, Bolton dismissed statements made by Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro, who had blamed India for “laundering” Russian oil and even used casteist rhetoric against Indian business practices.

Bolton openly dismissed Navarro as lacking understanding of global affairs, calling his remarks unrepresentative of long-term US opinion and instead reflective of the Trump administration’s aberrational style.

Notwithstanding these tensions, Trump himself has recently attempted to reset the tone. Earlier this week, he publicly praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his “friend” and voiced confidence about resolving ongoing trade frictions. Posting on Truth Social, Trump said he expected no major difficulty in reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with India soon.

Based On ANI Report