‘Trump-Modi Friendship Is Gone’: Ex-US NSA John Bolton Warns Close Ties Won’t Protect World Leaders

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has declared that the once-strong personal relationship between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “gone now,” warning that a close rapport with the Republican leader will not shield world leaders from his unpredictable policies . Bolton’s stark assessment comes as India-US relations face significant strain over Trump’s recent imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods and criticism of New Delhi’s energy ties with Moscow .

In an interview with a British media portal, Bolton argued that Trump’s actions have undone decades of bipartisan American efforts to draw India away from its historical alignment with Russia and position it as a counterweight to China . “The White House has set US-India relations back decades, pushing Modi closer to Russia and China,” Bolton stated on X, formerly known as Twitter . He attributed the recent downturn in relations almost entirely to Trump’s treatment of India over the last few months .

Bolton, who served as Trump’s NSA during his first term, has become a vocal critic of the President’s foreign policy, which he says is viewed through the “prism of his personal relations with leaders” . He explained that Trump equates a good personal relationship with a leader, like Russia’s Vladimir Putin, with a good bilateral relationship, a view Bolton called “obviously not the case” . The former NSA cautioned other leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, that personal chemistry with Trump offers no lasting protection .

The current friction stems from Trump’s decision to levy a 25% tariff on Indian goods, coupled with an additional 25% penalty on India’s purchases of Russian oil, which the White House has framed as a crackdown on Russia’s war in Ukraine . These measures followed Prime Minister Modi’s implicit refutation of Trump’s claims that he had mediated to prevent a war between India and Pakistan . Bolton’s remarks highlight a significant shift in a relationship once celebrated for the strong personal bond between the two leaders, suggesting a more turbulent and uncertain path ahead for India-US ties .