Can’t allow Trump’s ego to destroy ‘strategic relationship’ with world’s largest democracy: Prominent US lawmaker Ro Khanna
New York, Sep 2: President Donald Trump’s actions are destroying the partnership with India, a prominent US lawmaker and two former top officials have said, cautioning that the American leader’s “ego” cannot be allowed to destroy a “strategic relationship” with the world’s largest democracy.
Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna, the co-chair of the US-India caucus, said he is sounding the “five-alarm fire” on what Trump is doing to “destroy” the US-India partnership.
Khanna explained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s refusal to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, while Pakistan did, has led to strained relations.
Pointing to the root cause of the issue, Khanna said the reasons are “very simple”.
He referenced a statement from Islamabad, which credited Trump for bringing an end to the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May this year. India, however, maintained that the border dispute with Pakistan is an internal matter and refused to give Trump any credit.
“We can’t allow the ego of Donald Trump to destroy a strategic relationship with India that is key to ensuring that America leads and not China,” Khanna said.
“To all those Indian-Americans who voted for Donald Trump, I’m asking you, where are you today while he destroys this relationship?” he asked.
Khanna accused Trump of “undermining 30 years of bipartisan work to strengthen the US-India alliance,” citing the imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% levy on New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.
Khanna added that Trump’s policies are “driving India towards China and Russia”, a trend that poses a strategic setback for the US.
Khanna said the levies imposed on India are higher than any other country, with the exception of Brazil, and are even higher tariffs than the duties on China, which is the largest purchaser of Russian energy.
“It is hurting India’s exports of leather and textiles into the United States, and its hurting American manufacturers and our exports into India. It is also driving India towards China and towards Russia,” he said.
Trump’s words and actions targeting India over tariffs and its purchases of Russian oil are being strongly criticised by other officials across the US, as well, including from those who have served in the previous White House administrations.
Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Monday said Trump has “thrown the relationship with India over the side” because of Pakistan’s willingness to engage in business deals with his family.
He described the move as a “huge strategic harm” to America.
John Bolton, who served as National Security Advisor in the first Trump administration, has said President Trump has “shredded” decades of Western efforts to wean India away from Russia and caution it on the threat posed by China.
“The West has spent decades trying to wean India away from its Cold War attachment to Soviet Union Russia, and cautioning India on the threat posed by China. Donald Trump has shredded decades of efforts with his disastrous tariff policy,” Bolton said in a post on X Monday. (PTI)