'Thrown India over the side': Did Trump cast India aside for business with Pakistan? Ex-US NSA Jake Sullivan Weighs In
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Thrown India over the side': Did Trump cast India aside for business with Pakistan? Ex-US NSA Jake Sullivan Weighs In")
US President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Photograph: (Reuters)
Jake Sullivan accused Trump of damaging US-India relations to pursue personal business in Pakistan, calling it a major, under-reported strategic setback that threatens decades of bipartisan diplomatic progress.
Former US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has accused Donald Trump of sacrificing America’s partnership with India in favour of personal business interests in Pakistan. Speaking to the MeidasTouch YouTube channel, Sullivan said, “In no small part, I think because of Pakistan’s willingness to do business deals with the Trump family, he has thrown the India relationship over the side. That is a huge strategic harm in its own right.”
He called it one of the most under-reported stories in Trump’s foreign policy and warned it could undermine decades of bipartisan work to strengthen ties with India, the world’s largest democracy.
Concerns about America’s credibility
Sullivan stressed that India was a natural partner for the US in technology, economics, and balancing China. He warned that by sidelining India, Washington risks sending a dangerous message to other allies. “Every other country in the world, Germany, Japan or Canada, will look at the situation and say that could be us tomorrow. And that only reinforces your view that you’ve got to hedge against the United States,” he said.
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He added that if allies start to believe they cannot rely on America, it would weaken the country’s global standing, “Our word should be our bond. We should be good for what we say. Our friends should be able to rely on us, and that has always been our strength.”
Trump’s business and trade push in Pakistan
The row comes after Trump-backed World Liberty Finance (WLF), a decentralised finance platform, signed agreements with Pakistan’s crypto industry earlier this year. Trump and his affiliates reportedly hold a 60 per cent stake in WLF. In June, Pakistan’s army confirmed that Trump and military chief Asim Munir had discussed trade, economic growth and cryptocurrency at the White House.
By July, Trump announced a trade deal with Pakistan while also threatening 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. He said Washington would work with Islamabad to develop its “massive oil reserves”. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the pact as “historic” and expressed hope it would deepen ties.
