Overview

• Former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said the White House has set U.S.–India relations back decades, pushing Prime Minister Narendra Modi closer to Russia and China.
• Bolton asserted that Trump’s once-strong personal bond with Modi is now over and warned that personal ties with the president will not shield leaders from adverse policies.
• The administration imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff plus a 25% levy tied to India’s Russian crude purchases, lifting effective duties on many Indian imports to about 50% from August 27.
• Bolton’s comments coincided with Modi’s bilateral meetings with China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit in Tianjin.
• A U.S. appeals court has ruled the tariff measures illegal, adding legal pressure at home as Indian officials protest the duties as unjustified.