Michael Rubin critiques Donald Trump’s approach to India after Putin’s high-profile visit to New Delhi (Photo: ANI)
Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin has sparked fresh debate with a sharp critique of former US President Donald Trump's approach toward India. Speaking after Vladimir Putin's two-day visit to New Delhi, Rubin argued that Trump inadvertently pushed India and Russia closer, even joking that such an achievement makes him worthy of a Nobel Prize.
His remarks, though laced with sarcasm, highlight growing concerns in Washington about the long-term consequences of Trump's foreign policy choices.
Rubin said that Trump's erratic approach to India undermined Washington's strategic position. He maintained that the new warmth in relations between New Delhi and Moscow is not unrelated to a sense of Indian pique at the way Trump treated the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi.
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But he also added that while the Putin visit had been a diplomatic coup for Russia, the deeper change in relations was driven by the feeling of being marginalized under Trump. Rubin said the U.S. public regards the outcome in two ways: The Trump loyalists see confirmation of his worldview and the critics view this as a result of incompetence.
Rubin certainly did not pull any punches, charging that Trump had undone years of progress in improving US-India relations. He said Trump time and again allowed himself to be swayed by flattery or suspect lobbying by Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar.
This, he said, left many policymakers in Washington aghast at the undermining of a partnership thought vital to checking China. Rubin warned that this has resulted in the US facing some strategic deficit created by decisions made during Trump's tenure, which will take years to repair.
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Rubin emphasized that American leaders tend to always miscalculate the practical needs of India. Being the most populous country in the world and a budding economic power, energy security comes first for India before any diplomatic pressure.
He said New Delhi buys fuel from Russia out of sheer consideration of cost, availability and national interest. Rubin also criticized the US for its hypocrisy it preaches to India while making the same purchases when no viable alternatives exist.
Rubin concluded with a blunt message: if Washington can't provide India with energy at better prices and in the volumes it needs, it has little ground to criticize. He believes that the US urgently needs to rethink its approach, accept India's autonomy and stop expecting compliance without meaningful alternatives.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available statements and expert opinions and does not represent any government or institutional stance.
