Trump lost bigger picture by targeting India over Russian oil: Ex-NSA John Bolton

UPDATED: Oct 1, 2025 06:58 IST

Former US Security Adviser John Bolton has criticized President Donald Trump’s move to sanction India for buying Russian oil, saying it shows the president has once again “lost the bigger strategic picture.” Speaking at an event, Bolton said the sanctions reflected Trump’s flawed approach to foreign policy.

“Trump has lost the bigger strategic picture. I think he has done it again by sanctioning India. He hasn’t gone after Russia directly or China — which buys more Russian oil than India,” Bolton remarked.

The former NSA argued that Trump’s obsession with trade talks often came at the expense of wider strategy. “All Trump wanted to do was talk about trade. The bigger strategic picture was lost. He didn’t sanction Russia, but he sanctioned India. He didn’t sanction China, which has significantly greater purchases of oil and gas than India did.”

Bolton went on to illustrate Trump’s fascination with China by recalling an episode from his time in office.

“I tell the story in my book when Theresa May had him for lunch at Chequers. We were out there before the famous Helsinki summit and Trump got on to the subject of his 2017 visit to China. And he said to Theresa May, they gave me the biggest welcome that they have ever given any foreign leader in history. And you just sit there and say, what do you say after that? That’s what he’s looking for,” Bolton said.

A veteran conservative hawk who broke with Trump after serving in his first administration, Bolton accused the president of punishing India — a key US partner in countering Beijing’s influence — while being “fascinated” by China.

Bolton’s remarks came at a tense moment in India-US ties. Trump has slapped a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, while Modi has been spotted in Beijing alongside Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, signaling New Delhi’s shifting priorities.

This is not the first time Bolton has spoken out against Trump. He has previously said that the once close personal bond between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi has evaporated.

“Trump had a very good relationship personally with Modi. I think that’s gone now, and it’s a lesson to everybody,” Bolton said in an interview with British outlet LBC. “For example, (UK Prime Minister) Keir Starmer — a good personal relationship may help at times, but it won’t protect you from the worst.”

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