'PM Modi should nominate him for Nobel twice': Ex-US NSA John Bolton criticises Trump over India tariffs

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton - File Photo

Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton has criticised US President Donald Trump for needlessly antagonising India, calling the steep tariffs imposed on New Delhi “a mistake in the bilateral relationship.”

Bolton’s remarks came after Trump hit India with some of the highest US tariffs in recent history -- 50% overall, including a 25% penalty for purchasing Russian oil. The former Trump aide described this approach as “backward” and “damaging” to ties between the two nations.

Trump defended his decision, claiming India was helping Moscow prolong its war in Ukraine. “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil; they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” he wrote on Truth Social.

While China also purchases Russian oil, Bolton pointed out that Beijing faces no such tariffs or secondary sanctions. “India is the one government to have suffered from Trump’s effort to get a ceasefire in Ukraine,” he noted.

Trump, who had previously engaged in a tariff battle with China last April, imposing rates of up to 145%, has since avoided further escalation with Beijing. India, however, became the primary target of his latest trade measures.

Earlier in the day, Trump lashed out at news outlets for what he described as unfair coverage of his upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He claimed that the media would criticise him even if he got “Moscow and Leningrad free” as part of a deal with Russia. Trump also disparaged former officials turned critics, calling Bolton “dumb” after the latter labelled the summit as a “great victory for Putin.”

Speaking to NDTV, Bolton warned that repairing the fallout from the tariffs would take time. “When you make a mistake as big as the way the White House has ended up treating India over the past 30 days, it takes a long time to restore trust and confidence,” he said.

Bolton also took a pointed jab at Trump by referencing Pakistan. Noting how Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and Army Chief Asim Munir are “figuring out a better way to play Trump,” he remarked, “My only suggestion to PM Modi is he could offer to nominate Trump twice for a Nobel Peace Prize.”

In June, Islamabad had announced that it would formally recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his “decisive diplomatic intervention” in the recent India-Pakistan conflict. The declaration appeared on X under the headline: Government of Pakistan Recommends President Donald J Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.