Flattery of the Pakistanis derailed India-US ties: Ex-Pentagon Official
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New York: Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin has taken on President Trump for worsening ties with India blaming that his ‘gross incompetence’ has led to India and Russia growing closer.
Rubin made the remarks in the midst of Russian President Putin’s India visit and reports of Moscow’s decision to offer 'uninterrupted shipments' of fuel to New Delhi.
Attacking President Trump’s policies, Rubin said that the US President’s actions reversed ties between Indian and the US which have ‘flabbergasted’ the US citizens.
‘A lot of us are still flabbergasted at how Donald Trump has reversed US-India ties. Many people question what motivates Donald Trump. Perhaps it was the flattery of the Pakistanis. More likely, it was bribery on the part of the Pakistanis or their backers in Turkey and Qatar towards Donald Trump...This is one disastrous bribe that is going to saddle America with a strategic deficit for decades to come,’ he was quoted as saying.
Justifying India’s position to buy Russian oil, Rubin said the US was ‘hypocritical’ in ‘lecturing’ the India for buying oil while the US itself was involved in trade with Moscow.
Rubin told news agency ANI that ‘What Americans don't understand is that Indians elected Prime Minister Modi to represent Indian interests. India is the most populous country. It's soon going to become the world's third-largest economy, and for that, it needs energy. The US is being hypocritical because we purchase from Russia. We purchase goods and materials for which we don't have alternative markets. We are being hypocritical when we lecture India.’
The former Pentagon official urged Trump administration to provide fuel to India at cheaper price rather than ‘lecturing’, adding that if that is not possible, the US should ‘shut up because India needs to take care of Indian security first’.
President Trump had slapped 50 per cent tariffs on most Indian products in August, accusing New Delhi of funding Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil.