President Donald Trump had a very good personal relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but “that’s gone now,” according to US former National Security Adviser John Bolton, warning that intimate ties with the American leader “won’t protect” world leaders from the “worst.”
Bolton’s statements came at a time when India-US ties may be at their worst in over two decades, aggravated by Trump’s tariff policy and his administration’s relentless criticism of New Delhi.
I believe Trump views foreign relations through the lens of his personal relationships with leaders. So, if he has a good connection with Vladimir Putin, so does the United States with Russia. “That is obviously not the case,” he stated in a recent interview with the British media portal LBC.
Bolton, who served as NSA during Trump’s first presidency, has been harshly critical of his former boss.
Trump had a very good personal relationship with Modi. I believe that is no longer the case, and it teaches everyone, including (UK Prime Minister) Keir Starmer, that while a good personal relationship might be beneficial at times, it cannot protect you from the worst,” he said.
Trump is slated to visit the United Kingdom from September 17-19.
In a social media post following his interview with LBC, Bolton stated that the White House has “set US-India relations back decades,” bringing Modi closer to Russia and China. Beijing has positioned itself as an alternative to the United States and Donald Trump.”
The former NSA stated that Trump’s approach of India in recent months has undercut years of bipartisan US attempts to wean New Delhi away from its Cold War alliance with Russia and to ensure that Indian leaders across the spectrum acknowledge China as their primary security threat.
That’s been reversed. “I believe it can be reversed again, but it is a very bad time,” he stated.
Bolton has stated that the Trump administration’s tariffs on India’s purchase of Russian oil may have pushed New Delhi closer to the Beijing-Moscow axis, calling it as a “unforced error”.
The FBI recently searched Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington office as part of a criminal investigation into the suspected mishandling of secret materials.
