Jake Sullivan: Trump Damaged India-US Relations Over Business Deals With Pakistan

September 2, 2025 MTIMES 3 min read Asim Munir, Donald Trump, India Russia oil, India-US Relations, Jake Sullivan, Shehbaz Sharif, Trump Pakistan deals, US Tariffs on India, World Liberty Finance

Former US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has accused President Donald Trump of undermining India-US relations due to his family’s business interests in Pakistan. His comments came just a day after Trump lashed out at New Delhi on Truth Social, calling trade ties with India a “totally one-sided disaster.”

Speaking in an interview with MeidasTouch on YouTube, Sullivan alleged, “Because of Pakistan’s willingness to do business deals with the Trump family, he (Trump) has thrown the India relationship over the side.”

Jake Sullivan says Trump harmed India-US relations

Sullivan, who served in the Biden administration, warned that weakening ties with India poses a serious strategic setback for Washington. “A strong US-India relationship serves our interests. This bipartisan effort was meant to strengthen cooperation on technology, economics, and countering China,” he explained.

He added that Trump’s approach damages America’s credibility with allies. “Our word should be our bond. Our friends should be able to rely on us. What’s happening with India has huge direct impacts but also reverberates across all our partnerships in the world,” Sullivan stressed.

Trump’s growing business ties with Pakistan

Trump’s criticisms of India have coincided with his warming ties with Pakistan. Earlier this year, his backed platform World Liberty Finance (WLF) signed agreements with the Pakistan Crypto Council to boost blockchain investments. Reports suggest that Trump and his affiliates hold a 60 percent stake in WLF.

In June, Trump held talks at the White House with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, on trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency. By July, he announced a new trade deal with Islamabad, pledging US support for tapping Pakistan’s “massive oil reserves.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the agreement as “historic.”

India targeted over tariffs, oil imports from Russia

Amid these business ties, Trump has continued his attacks on New Delhi. On Truth Social, he claimed, “We do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us. It has been a totally one-sided disaster.”

From August 1, the US imposed a baseline 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, later adding another 25 percent on August 27, citing India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and defense equipment.

Trump’s aides, including Peter Navarro, Scott Bessent, and Vice President J.D. Vance, also targeted India. Navarro accused Indian oil lobbies of being tied to Russian refineries and alleged profiteering by “Brahmin elites.”

India-US relations under strain

Trump echoed these criticisms, arguing that India buys most of its oil and military supplies from Russia while importing very little from the US. “They have now offered to cut their tariffs to nothing, but it’s getting late. They should have done so years ago,” he remarked.

Sullivan cautioned that such moves weaken trust with global partners and urged Washington not to let short-term business interests dictate foreign policy.

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