Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton criticized President Trump’s tariff threats against India as detrimental to US-India relations and strategically incoherent amidst rising tensions with China. Bolton emphasized the need for stronger collaboration with India, Japan, and other allies in the Indo-Pacific to effectively counter Chinese assertiveness. He argued that penalizing India for its Russian oil purchases undermines the broader strategic partnership essential to balancing China’s influence. Bolton suggested that renewed direct dialogue between Trump and Prime Minister Modi could help restore confidence and momentum in bilateral ties, highlighting the importance of treating India as a core ally rather than merely a trade partner in the context of global security challenges.