'Trump has endangered US efforts to keep India away from Russia and China', former aide alleges

President Donald Trump's former aide John Bolton has challenged the government's stance on the tariff issue with India. Bolton has said that the US has jeopardized decades-old efforts to keep India away from Russia and China. He made these comments while discussing the heavy duties imposed by the US on India for purchasing oil from Russia. The former National Security Advisor also criticized Trump's bias toward China compared to India and warned that it could be a "very big mistake." Trump launched a brief trade war with China in April but has not escalated it since. However, he has imposed tariffs of over 50% on India, including an additional 25% for funding Russia amid ongoing tensions with Ukraine.

Bolton stated that the US suffered the "worst consequences" of these tariffs because India reacted "very negatively" to the situation, contrary to expectations, especially when tariffs were not being imposed on China. Speaking to CNN, Bolton described the tariff episode as ironic. He said the proposed penalties on India aimed at hurting Russia could instead push India closer to Russia and China, possibly forcing them to negotiate together against the US. "Trump's soft approach to China and heavy tariffs on India are jeopardizing decades of US efforts to distance India from Russia and China," the former presidential aide emphasized.

In an earlier article for The Hill, Bolton pointed out that tariffs serve partisan interests and argued that Trump's lenient approach toward Beijing might be seen as sacrificing US strategic interests in dealing with President Xi Jinping. "The White House appears to be moving towards being more lenient with Beijing than with New Delhi on tariff rates and other parameters. If that is the case, it would be a huge mistake," his article stated.

Despite these additional tariffs, India has refused to stop buying oil from Russia. Instead, India has defended its oil imports and called the tariffs "unfair and wrong." Russia has also supported New Delhi, just a week before Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and accused the US of applying illegal trade pressure on India. Bolton mentioned that the upcoming meeting will give Putin a chance to advance his agenda on several fronts, and he could also play a significant role in influencing tariffs on India.