'Trump Has Shredded Decades Of Efforts With His Disastrous Tariff Policy'

'The longer India hangs out to dry, the worse the New Delhi-Washington relationship gets.'

Former US national security advisor John Bolton has sharply criticised President Donald Trump's tariff policy, asserting that it has 'shredded' decades of Western efforts to align India away from its Cold War ties with the Soviet Union and address the growing threat from China.

In a series of posts on X on Monday), Bolton accused Trump of jeopardising strategic gains with his economic approach, while also suggesting that the policy has handed Chinese President Xi Jinping an opportunity to reshape the geopolitical landscape in the East.

'The West has spent decades trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to the Soviet Union/Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,' Bolton stated in one of his posts.

'Donald Trump's unwillingness to consider diplomatic moves in a larger strategic context has given Xi Jinping an opportunity to reset the East,' another post read.

Bolton served as Trump's national security adviser (2018-2019) during his first stint as US president. He later resigned over differences with Trump on the administration's foreign policy at that time.

'Bilateral relationships have suffered considerable damage because of the fallout from the administration's failing diplomacy. The longer India hangs out to dry, the worse the New Delhi-Washington relationship gets,' Bolton tweeted.

Bolton's remarks followed the conclusion of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin, China, during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral engagements with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit.