'Too much ordering, pressuring': Ex-US diplomat John Kerry slams Trump’s handling of India ties

Ex-US Diplomat Snubs Trump Over India Ties

Former US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern over strained India-US ties, calling the situation "unfortunate." Speaking at the ET World Leaders Forum, he said, "Giving ultimatums without making any genuine diplomatic efforts does not exhibit greatness," and cautioned against alienating key allies like India.

"We are concerned. This struggle between President Trump and PM Modi is unfortunate. Great nations don't necessarily exhibit greatness by giving people ultimatums all the time without sort of a genuine diplomatic effort to try to find common ground and do things through the normal course of business," he said.

“There has been a little bit too much ordering, pressuring, and pushing around,” said John Kerry. Reflecting on his time under President Obama, the former Secretary of State noted that negotiations during that period were guided by cooperation and mutual respect.

This comes as India-US ties have strained in recent weeks, following the Trump administration’s imposition of secondary tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil.

Tensions reportedly escalated further after New Delhi denied Trump’s claimed peacemaking role during its recent conflict with Pakistan. US tariffs on Indian exports now stand at over 50%.

Kerry expressed hope that New Delhi and Washington would resolve their trade dispute, referring to Prime Minister Modi and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal as friends and saying he admired India’s approach to negotiations.

"My hope is that we will resolve this dispute. I think India has made a pretty powerful offering frankly," he said, noting reports that India had offered zero tariff on several US imports as a "big shift".

Kerry is not the first to criticize Trump's tariffs on India. Earlier, former National Security Advisor John Bolton slammed the President for jeopardizing decades of U.S. efforts to move India away from Russia and China, warning that his pro-China stance could be an "enormous mistake."