Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has accused former President Donald Trump of jeopardizing the strategic relationship between the United States and India due to alleged business interests involving Pakistan and Trump’s family.
In an interview with MeidasTouch Network’s YouTube channel, Sullivan underscored the growing importance of US-India relations, particularly in the context of shared interests in technology, economics, and countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region. He claimed that Trump sidelined the relationship in favor of personal gains.
“The US has worked to build a relationship with India — a country we should be aligned with on technology, talent, economics, and strategic issues like dealing with threats from China. But because of Pakistan’s willingness to do business with Trump’s family, he has thrown the India relationship aside,” Sullivan said. “Countries like Germany or Japan will look at that and think, ‘That could be us tomorrow.’ America’s allies will begin to question whether they can rely on us at all.”
Sullivan’s comments come amid rising tensions between Washington and New Delhi, particularly after the US imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods — including a 25% penalty linked to India’s continued import of Russian oil.
However, other US officials have expressed optimism about resolving the growing economic friction. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an interview with Fox Business, voiced confidence that the two nations would overcome trade disputes, noting that India’s democratic values are more aligned with the US than with China or Russia.
“I think at the end of the day, two great countries will get this solved,” Bessent said. “But the Indians have not been great actors in terms of buying Russian oil and then reselling it, effectively financing Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.”
Bessent also downplayed the significance of India’s engagement with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), describing the summit as “largely performative.”
Meanwhile, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro took a more critical tone, targeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the SCO summit.
“It was a shame to see Modi, the leader of the world’s largest democracy, getting in bed with two of the world’s biggest authoritarian dictators — Putin and Xi. It doesn’t make any sense. We hope he comes around and realizes he should be with us, Europe, and Ukraine — not Russia,” Navarro said during a press briefing.
Despite the criticism, PM Modi, in his SCO address, highlighted India’s longstanding stance on enhancing connectivity among member states to promote economic growth and mutual trust.
“India has always believed that strong connectivity not only boosts trade but also opens doors to growth and trust,” Modi stated during the summit.
The contrasting views from US officials underscore the complex and evolving dynamics in US-India relations, as both nations navigate trade disagreements and broader geopolitical realignments.
