Ex-NSA Jake Sullivan says Trump damaged US–India ties by prioritizing his family’s business interests in Pakistan. [Photo Source: Reuters]
A former top US official has sounded a sharp warning. Jake Sullivan, who served as National Security Advisor during the Biden administration, accused President Donald Trump of abandoning America’s hard-earned partnership with India to secure his family’s business interests in Pakistan.
The allegation not only highlights a troubling shift in Washington’s priorities but also raises deeper questions about the US's credibility with allies across the world.
For decades, successive US governments—Republican and Democrat alike—have invested in building ties with India. The relationship, based on shared democratic values and a common interest in countering China, was seen as one of the most important strategic partnerships of the 21st century. Sullivan underlined this point, noting, “On a bipartisan basis, going back decades, the United States has worked to build its relationship with India, the world’s largest democracy.”
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Yet, he argued, Trump “threw it aside” to favour Pakistan. According to Sullivan, “Because of Pakistan’s willingness to do business deals with the Trump family, Trump has thrown the India relationship over the side.” The result, he said, is a “huge strategic harm” to US interests.
At the heart of the controversy are Trump family-linked deals in Pakistan. Earlier this year, Trump’s financial firm, World Liberty Financial Inc., struck agreements with Pakistan’s crypto industry. Soon after, the Trump administration extended trade benefits to Islamabad, even promising help in developing its oil reserves. Within weeks, Washington imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods and openly criticized New Delhi’s purchase of discounted Russian crude.
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This series of incidents has stoked conjecture that Trump’s private business ventures influenced American foreign policy. Although leaders frequently strike a balance between strategy and trade, the pursuit of personal benefit has rarely been so directly associated with a change in international alliances.
The damage extends far beyond India. By undermining India, Trump has shaken the trust of other US allies. Jake Sullivan warned, “Our word should be our bond. Our friends should be able to rely on us… And what’s happening with India right now has huge direct impacts. But it also has this reverberating impact across all our relationships.”
Allies in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East are now watching closely. If Washington can discard India, a long-standing strategic partner, others may wonder if they too, are dispensable. This, Sullivan argued, will push nations to “hedge against the United States” and deepen ties with rivals like China and Russia.
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