Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has strongly criticised President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, claiming it has undone decades of Western efforts to distance India from Russia and confront the challenge posed by China.
In a series of posts on X on Monday, Bolton argued that Trump’s economic measures have jeopardised strategic gains in South Asia, giving Chinese President Xi Jinping an opening to reshape the regional balance.
“The West has spent decades trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to the Soviet Union/Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,” Bolton wrote.
He added in another post: “Donald Trump’s unwillingness to consider diplomatic moves in a larger strategic context has given Xi Jinping an opportunity to reset the East.”
Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security adviser between 2018 and 2019 before resigning over policy differences, has often been critical of Trump’s foreign policy decisions.
His remarks come amid heightened economic strain following Washington’s imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Indian imports, further increased by 25 percent due to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil.
The comments also followed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Modi and Xi acknowledged the stabilising role of their economies in global trade.
During his meeting with Putin, PM Modi reiterated the importance of the India-Russia partnership, stressing that the two nations have consistently stood together through difficult times. Putin, for his part, noted that 2025 marks 15 years of the India-Russia “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.”
