India's silence, reliance on back-channel diplomacy on US tariffs "best way" to deal with Trump, says John Bolton

Washington DC [US], September 13 : Former United States National Security Advisor John Bolton has said that India's decision to stay largely silent and rely on back-channel diplomacy on US tariffs was the "best way to deal" with US President Donald Trump, cautioning that engaging in public confrontations would not make matters "easier".

"I think that's the best way to deal with somebody like Trump. If you take the bait and get into a public back-and-forth with him, it's not going to make things any easier," Bolton said, referring to India's restrained approach on tariff disputes during Trump's presidency.

Bolton noted that Washington was concerned over two key developments at the time. First was the tariff issues, and second, Trump's attempt to take credit for easing tensions between India and Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Kashmir. "There was a lot of concern in Washington that the two tariff issues combined with Trump taking credit for bringing peace to India and Pakistan after the last terrorist attack in Kashmir, was inappropriate," he said.

The former NSA Bolton also advised that India should "reduce ties" with Russia in defence and economic matters, pointing to Moscow's growing alignment with Beijing.

"I think India's long-term interest lies in reducing ties with Russia, militarily and economically because Russia is increasingly in an axis with China. Putin and Xi Jinping have talked about a partnership without limits, and even when PM Modi goes to Beijing and shakes hands with Putin and Xi and Kim Jong Un, that's a signal to Washington. Everybody saw those pictures, but it's not a long-term strategy for India," he told ANI.

On the issue of trade negotiations, Bolton said he believed that both sides were close to reaching common ground despite challenges. "It seems to me that the two sides are not that far apart and continued negotiations will lead to an agreement. I hope to try to look for the silver lining in this cloud, which will also lead to further discussions, not about tariff levels, but about how to eliminate the tariffs and how to open up markets in both countries. I think closer economic cooperation is in both countries' interest," he said.

He added that negotiators on both sides had nearly reached an understanding, but India was caught off guard by Trump's sudden decision to escalate. "Indian negotiators and US negotiators felt that they had been close to reaching an agreement, but the Indian side was surprised when Trump, out of nowhere, said 25%," Bolton told ANI.

The former NSA also criticised Trump's approach to global trade conflicts, saying it had damaged America's credibility. "I don't think he (Donald Trump) understands that in this trade war that he started, the US is losing a lot of belief in our reliability, good faith, and so on that we've tried very hard over a large number of years to build up. He's using up political resources that were accumulated over time," Bolton said.

Earlier, Bolton dismissed recent remarks made by Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro against India. "Look, Peter doesn't know anything about world affairs. Really, he has a hard time distinguishing who America's friends are, who America's friends should be, and how you treat friends," he told ANI.

The former NSA added, "I like to say back from the first term, if you left Peter in a room alone for about an hour and came back, he'd be arguing with himself. So it's not the best form of diplomacy. And again, this is an aberration of the Trump administration. This is not a reflection of broader American opinion."

Navarro has recently accused India of profiting from discounted Russian crude and claimed that Indian tariffs are "costing American jobs." He even went so far as to describe India as a "laundromat for the Kremlin" and made casteist remarks alleging that "Brahmins are profiteering" from the Russian oil trade.

Bolton stressed that such language does not reflect US policy and should be seen as part of the Trump administration's unusual approach.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, despite earlier tensions, Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him his "friend" and expressed optimism about resolving trade issues.

"I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the trade barriers between our two nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our great countries!" he wrote on Truth Social.

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