Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton slammed President Donald Trump for imposing high tariffs against India, stressing that the move has made negotiations more complicated.
According to a report published in The Times of India, Bolton said that the high tariff policy on India is a mistake and the tariffs must be lowered while talks continue toward a deal.
The former US security advisor told the media outlet during an interview that the tariff policy is a mistake and the Trump administration must reduce the tariffs while engaging the other side in dialogue on the issue.
Bolton criticised the Trump administration for imposing an additional 25% tariff as collateral damage on India for buying Russian oil. He also pointed out how China has been left unpenalized, despite importing more oil and gas from Russia in comparison to India.
Last week, Speaking on India-US ties, Bolton told news agency ANI, “I would say the relationship’s still the same… The Government of India should look at Trump as a one-time proposition and deal with it and take whatever steps they believe are in Indian’s national interest, but to understand it as peculiar to Trump and not reflecting some larger American view.”
Bolton criticised Trump’s foreign policy style, saying, “Trump doesn’t have an overall national security strategy. He’s very transactional. I think much of the tension between India and the US has been because of Trump’s very erratic style.”
On trade frictions, Bolton pointed to tariffs on Indian energy purchases.
