NEW DELHI: Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has warned that punitive tariffs imposed on India could backfire strategically, pushing New Delhi closer to Russia and China, the very outcome decades of American diplomacy have sought to avoid.
In an interview with CNN, Bolton said, “Trump's tariffs against India are intended to hurt Russia, but they could push India closer to Russia and to China to oppose these tariffs."
He warned that Trump’s leniency toward China while taking a heavy-handed approach with India was undermining long-term U.S. interests.
“Trump’s leniency on the Chinese, and heavy-handed tariffs on India, jeopardise decades of American efforts to bring India away from Russia and China,” Bolton said.
In April, Trump briefly escalated a trade war with China, only to pause further action, pending a potential deal.
Meanwhile, he announced on July 30 a 25% tariff rate on Indian imports—a significant hike from the previous average of 2.4%. India also faces an additional tariff of 25% due to its continued purchases of Russian oil, which Trump argues funds the ‘war in Ukraine.’ Trump also criticised India’s acquisition of Russian military equipment.
In his op-ed for The Hill, Bolton earlier called Trump’s trade policy “an enormous mistake and entirely counterproductive for America.” He emphasised that levying tariffs on both allies and adversaries erodes long-standing diplomatic capital with friendly nations such as India.
“The US, by levying tariffs on friend and foe alike, has likely suffered a considerable loss of trust and confidence, built up over decades of effort, in exchange for minimal economic gains — if any — and the risk of formidable losses,” he wrote.
Bolton added that the White House appears more lenient toward Beijing, pointing out that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent floated the possibility of extending China’s August 12 deadline for tariff talks—something India has not been offered yet.
Former US trade official Christopher Padilla also cautioned that the tariff strategy could inflict long-term damage on U.S.-India ties, raising questions about America’s reliability as a strategic partner.
India, meanwhile, has refused to bow to U.S. pressure, calling the tariffs “unfair and unreasonable.” With Moscow backing New Delhi and Trump's upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin, Bolton warned that Putin may seize the moment to strengthen Russia’s position—possibly even aligning with India to counter U.S. pressure.
“This is a geopolitical own goal, one that could cost the US far more than it gains economically," he added.