John Bolton, former U.S. National Security Adviser under President Donald Trump, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland. He faces eight counts of transmission and 10 counts of retention of national defense information. Prosecutors say Bolton kept and shared digital diaries containing classified material from his time as Trump’s longest-serving security adviser.
Bolton has consistently supported India on key issues, including Trump’s trade tariffs, Russian oil purchases, and India's right to self defence after Pahalgam terror attack.
Backs India after Pahalgam attack
Bolton openly backed India’s right to self defence after the Pahalgam attack. He said, “Even though nobody wants to see a wider conflict in South Asia, India has every right to act in self-defence against Pakistan following the heinous Pahalgam terror attack.”
He also highlighted the impact of cross-border terrorism on civilians and tourism in Jammu and Kashmir: “It is highly unfortunate that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being prevented from living in a stable environment and that tourists are being deterred from visiting the region due to continuous terrorist activity from across the border.”
Defending India on tariffs and Russian oil
During tensions between the U.S. and India over Donald Trump’s tariffs, Bolton defended India’s right to buy Russian oil. He told the Hindustan Times, “The complaint is that India took some of the gasoline it was buying from Russia, perhaps refined it and sold it internationally. That’s a complaint worth discussing. But the sanctions, as written, do not preclude anyone, including India, from buying Russian oil at the capped price, or below $60/barrel, and then selling it elsewhere. If that’s the complaint, the complaint lies with the sanctions, not so much with India’s behaviour.”
He criticised Trump for being selective with sanctions: “Didn't sanction Russia. He didn't sanction Russia, but sanctioned India and didn't sanction China, which has significantly greater purchases of oil and gas than India did. All Trump wanted to do was talk about trade. The bigger strategic picture was lost.”
Impact on U.S.-India relations
Bolton said Trump-era policies have hurt long-term relations between the U.S. and India. “The White House has set U.S.-India relations back decades, pushing Modi closer to Russia and China. Beijing has cast itself as an alternative to the U.S. and Donald Trump.”
He noted that the tariffs on Indian imports and restrictions related to Russian oil have added to uncertainty for India, highlighting the consequences of prioritising short-term trade disputes over broader strategic goals.
Criticism of Trump’s focus
Bolton also criticised Trump for focusing on the wrong priorities in foreign policy. He said, “I think he's fascinated by China. I tell the story in my book when Theresa May had him for lunch at Checkers. We were out there before the famous Helsinki summit and Trump got on to the subject of his 2017 visit to China. And he said to Theresa May, they gave me the biggest welcome that they have ever given any foreign leader in history. And you just sit there and say, what do you say after that? That's what he's looking for.”
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