Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton on Tuesday said US President Donald Trump’s recent threat to impose additional tariffs on India was a “self-inflicted wound” that caused serious strain in India-US relations. He said the move showed that Trump lacks a clear strategic understanding of America’s long-term interests.
Bolton criticised Trump’s approach to foreign policy and international strategy. He referred to Trump’s repeated comments about “taking control” of Greenland, saying such statements have created confusion within NATO at a time when the US should be focused on major threats like China.
“It shows why Trump really has no strategic sense about what is in America’s best interest. Talking about taking Greenland has caused disarray in the NATO alliance and could cause long-term damage, especially when we face a major threat from China and its hegemonic ambitions,” Bolton said.
He said the US should be strengthening cooperation with key partners such as India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to counter China’s actions in the South China Sea. Instead, he said, Trump remains focused on tariffs and Russian oil purchases.
“We need to be working with India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and others against that threat. But Trump is just obsessed with these tariffs and the oil sales. He has added a tariff on India, but not on China, which purchases considerably more Russian oil, or on other countries like Turkey that buy a lot of Russian oil. It caused real trouble in the US-India relations. And it's a self-inflicted wound by Trump himself,” Bolton said.
Bolton stated that direct talks between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi could help ease tensions. He said Trump believes he shares a good personal relationship with Modi, which could be used to resolve the issue.
"I wish there were some way we could get him and Modi talking directly again and see if they could find a solution. I think Trump believes he has a very good personal relationship with Modi and maybe that's a way to get this crisis behind us," he further added.
Bolton’s comments came after Trump on Sunday warned that the US would raise tariffs on India if it continued to buy Russian oil.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said Prime Minister Modi was aware of his dissatisfaction on the issue and suggested that New Delhi should take steps to keep him satisfied.
"PM Modi's a very good man. He's a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly," Trump said.
India currently faces a 50 per cent tariff on its exports to the US, with 25 per cent linked to its purchase of Russian oil, which Washington claims supports Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
On US priorities for 2026, Bolton said the biggest concern should be China. He pointed to China’s growing military strength and rising tensions in the South China Sea, around Taiwan, and along the Line of Actual Control with India.
He said Russia’s war in Ukraine should be the second priority, while Iran and North Korea should rank third due to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and North Korea’s expanding weapons programme.
"I would worry about the threat from China. I think that's the top priority in the 21st century. We've seen continued growth in Chinese military power. It poses a clear threat to peace and security in the South China Sea, around Taiwan and along the Line of Actual Control with India... Russia conducting an aggressive war in Ukraine would be the second. Iran and North Korea would tie for third place due to their ongoing threats. In Iran's case to develop nuclear weapons and in North Korea's case to improve and expand its arsenal," he said.
Bolton stressed the need for stronger US-India cooperation to deal with these challenges. He described the current global security situation as extremely dangerous and said strong strategic partnerships are essential to maintain peace and stability.
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