New York: US President Donald Trump called India-US ties “one-sided” over tariffs, even as former national security advisor Jake Sullivan accused him of abandoning the partnership for family business in Pakistan, causing “huge strategic harm” to America

“No, we get along with India very well,” Trump said in the White House on Tuesday in response to a question on whether he is considering taking away some of the tariffs imposed on India.

He said that for many years, the relationship between India and US was it was one-sided, and that changed when he assumed office.

India was charging us tremendous tariffs, about the highest in the world, Trump said, adding that the US was therefore not doing much business with India.

But they were doing business with us because we weren't charging them, foolishly, we weren't charging them, he sai,d adding that India was pouring its products into the US.

They'd send it in, pour it into our country. Therefore it wouldn't be made here, which is a negative, but we would not send in anything because they were charging us 100% tariffs, Trump said.

The US President cited the example of the Harley Davidson motorcycles, saying the company couldn't sell into India because there was a 200% tariff on a motorcycle. "So what happens? Harley Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant, and now they don't have to pay tariffs, the same thing as us.”

‘Huge strategic harm to America’
Trump has "thrown the relationship with India over the side" because of Pakistan's willingness to engage in business deals with his family, US' former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said, describing the move as a "huge strategic harm" to America.

"On a bipartisan basis, going back decades, the United States has worked to build its relationship with India, the world's largest democracy, a country that we should be aligned with on technology and talent and economics, so many other issues, and aligned with in dealing with the strategic threat from China, Sullivan said in response to a question on the MeidasTouch network on Monday.

He noted that the US had made significant progress in strengthening ties with India.

However, that relationship, he claimed, has been undermined by Trump's preference for personal business interests with Pakistan.

In no small part, I think because of Pakistan's willingness to do business deals with the Trump family, Trump has thrown the India relationship over the side, Sullivan said, describing it as a huge strategic harm because a "strong US-India relationship serves our interests.

Sullivan, who served as National Security Advisor under President Joe Biden, also voiced alarm that such actions raise concern among other countries around the world over their ties with the US under the Trump administration.

"But imagine every other country in the world. You're Germany, you're Japan, you're Canada. You look at that and you say, that could be us tomorrow'. And that only reinforces your view that you got to hedge against the United States and having all of our friends and countries around the world decide they just can't rely on the US in any way, shape or form, that is not in the interest of the American people long term, he said.

Sullivan said America's word should be our bond. We should be good for what we say. Our friends should be able to rely on us, and that has always been our strength".

He said the current situation with India not only has direct strategic consequences but also reverberating impact on all US relationships and partnerships worldwide.