Trump Sidelined US-India Relations To Prioritise Family's Pakistan Deals: Ex-US NSA Jake Sullivan

Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan accused Donald Trump of sidelining the US-India partnership, allegedly prioritizing his family's business interests in Pakistan. "This is a major strategic setback because a strong India-US partnership serves our core interests," he said on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel.

Pakistan has been willing to engage in deals with the Trump family. Sullivan noted that, for decades, the US has worked to strengthen its relationship with India, the world’s largest democracy—a country with which we should be aligned on technology, talent, economics, and in countering China’s strategic drift. "Only for Trump to undercut it," he said.

The former US National Security Advisor, said the move represented ''one of the most underreported aspects of Trump’s foreign policy.'' Sullivan highlighted that, this move has not only sabotaged Washington's relationship with New Delhi, but portrayed US as an unreliable ally.

"Imagine being a Germany, a Japan, or a Canada and watching this unfold, one would think, "That could be us tomorrow," Sullivan commented.

"It only reinforces the idea that you must hedge against the US. If our allies conclude they cannot rely on us in any way, shape, or form, it is not in the best long-term interest of the American people," he noted.

US President Donald Trump has accused New Delhi of fueling Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing its oil. On Aug. 27, Trump's additional tariffs to 'penalise' India for purchasing Russian crude oil came into effect, increasing India's cumulative tariff to 50% on a range of Indian exports— the steepest against any country — while keeping Pakistan’s rate at just 19%.

The sudden escalation followed India’s rejection of his claim to have mediated in the Indo-Pak conflict earlier this year. Meanwhile, Islamabad has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and hosted his family-linked venture, World Liberty Financial, in a high-profile partnership with the Pakistan Crypto Council.

In another podcast, Sullivan called Trump’s India tariffs a 'massive trade offensive' that risked driving New Delhi toward Beijing’s orbit.

In a conversation with Tim Miller on The Bulwark Podcast, Sullivan shared that China has moved ahead of the United States in popularity in a whole lot of countries. "The American brand globally is in the toilet," he added.

He highlighted, that the India case is the clearest warning of what lies ahead if America’s allies conclude Washington is no longer reliable. "What’s happening with India will have direct and reverberating effects across all of our relationships and partnerships worldwide," he said.

Sullivan highlighted that, the leaders abroad now see the US as the big disruptor, the country that can’t be counted on.