Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has voiced his opinion that U.S. President Donald Trump “misplayed his hand” with India by implementing tariffs.
“I am a supporter of President Trump, but I think he misplayed his hand with India recently when he imposed those punitive tariffs, particularly given there are other countries that are cheating here, especially China, that didn’t get the same kind of treatment,” the former Australian PM stated during an address at the NDTV World Summit.
Abbott also expressed his view that the tariff imposition would likely represent a “temporary setback” for New Delhi, and he hopes that Washington will rectify the situation quickly.
“I think this (tariffs) is a serious setback. But given the fundamental community of interest and values that India does have with the democracies, I think it will only be a temporary setback, but let’s hope that this can be remedied very quickly,” he conveyed, as reported by NDTV.
Additionally, Abbott offered commentary on the United States’ relationship with Pakistan, emphasizing that America’s core interests would be better served by fostering a strong friendship with India rather than Pakistan.
According to NDTV, the former PM highlighted that a significant error made by America during the Cold War was its consistent leaning towards Pakistan, a military dictatorship, over India, a liberal democracy.
The U.S. has instituted a 50% tariff on Indian goods, which includes a 25% penalty specifically for Russian energy purchases. The U.S. administration contends that these transactions finance Moscow’s ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
India, however, maintains that its energy procurement decisions are guided by market dynamics and national security needs, rather than geopolitical alignments, asserting its right to secure affordable energy for its citizens.
Earlier in the week, President Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him of India’s intention to cease purchasing Russian oil, a claim that India has since denied, stating that no such conversation took place.