'Grave mistake committed by treating India unfairly'; Former US top official calls out Donald Trump

WASHINGTON: Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton severely criticised President Donald Trump's decision to impose heavy tariffs on India. John Bolton expressed the premonition that the tariff against India would soon negatively impact the US.

Bolton accused Trump of fawning towards China while taking strict measures against India for buying Russian oil.

Trump, who was at odds with China over a trade deal, has suddenly gone soft with Beijing. Meanwhile, Trump imposed tariffs of more than 50 per cent on India, including a 25 per cent double tariff, for allegedly funding Russia's war in Ukraine.

Speaking to CNN, Bolton said the double tariff, which is intended to hurt Russia, would bring India closer to Russia and China, perhaps forcing them to negotiate together against the US.

Trump's leniency toward China and heavy tariffs on India would jeopardise decades of American efforts to distance India from Russia and China, he said. In an interview, Bolton said Trump's soft stance toward China could be seen as a sacrifice of U.S. strategic interests in his eagerness to strike a deal with President Xi Jinping. Bolton also suggested the grave mistake made by Trump in giving China more concessions on tariffs.