Published on: August 14, 2025 07:50 AM IST
Vikas Swaroop said Washington’s deep association with Pakistan is a “strategic mistake”, given Islamabad’s close relationship with Beijing.
Former diplomatic development development Swaroop has praised India’s firm stand at a trade talks with the United States, saying that the country has done “correct work” by opposing the Trip administration’s pressure to open its agriculture and dairy areas.
He said that caving in a bullying would only encourage threatening to increase demands, and would invite even more pressure from the yield.
US President Donald Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods in two phases when his comments came to comment on India’s imports.
In July, Trump announced a 25 percent tariff with an unspecified punishment, despite the expectation of an interim India-US trade deal, which could prevent high duties.
However, after days, he imposed another 25 percent tariff, causing a total of 50 percent. Swaroop described Tariff Hike as part of a broad “pressure strategy to secure a more favorable deal”.
The former diplomat also criticized Washington’s in -depth association with Pakistan, calling it a “strategic mistake” given a close relationship with Islamabad with Beijing.
“I think this is a strategic mistake from the US that you are getting in bed with Pakistan, which is in bed with China. China is the US strategic competitor,” Swaroop told news agency ANI.
“If you do a cave in a threat, threat will increase its demand. So, there will be more demands. Therefore, I think we have done the right thing. India is very big, a country is very proud to become a camp follower of any other country. Our strategic autonomy is the right to our foreign policy since the 1950s.
On the opposition criticism of India’s foreign policy, Swaroop said that the country did not get any pressure, saying that “strategic autonomy is non-conversion.”
