Former US Officials Urge Trump Administration to Stop Clubbing India and Pakistan Together:'

Washington, D.C., September 5 — In a strong message to the Trump administration, two former senior U.S. officials have urged Washington to move away from an “India-Pakistan” hyphenated approach in foreign policy, warning that continuing down this path could jeopardize America's long-term strategic interests with India. In a joint op-ed published in Foreign Affairs, Jake Sullivan, former U.S. National Security Advisor, and Kurt Campbell, ex-Deputy Secretary of State, emphasized that U.S. diplomacy should treat India and Pakistan separately, in line with America's deepening strategic ties with New Delhi. “There should be no ‘India-Pakistan policy,’” they wrote. “U.S. diplomacy in recent years has been heavily weighted toward New Delhi for a reason.” The authors acknowledged Washington's ongoing interests in Pakistan — primarily in counterterrorism and non-proliferation — but said those concerns are “pale in significance” compared to its broader and more multifaceted partnership with India. Their comments come amid recent tensions in U.S.-India ties, fueled by President Donald Trump’s imposition of 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods and his claims of brokering peace between India and Pakistan after the recent military standoff, known as Operation Sindoor. India has publicly denied any U.S. involvement in the ceasefire reached on May 10. Sullivan and Campbell criticized Trump’s trade tactics, describing the tariffs as part of the President’s political “theatrics” which they claim are often precursors to negotiation. “Indian officials must be made to understand that this is often how Trump initiates deals,” they said, urging both sides to reset relations before further damage is done. Adding to the complexity, Trump recently hosted Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House to discuss trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency. The meeting marked a notable thaw in U.S.-Pakistan relations but raised concerns in New Delhi about Washington’s shifting posture in South Asia. According to the op-ed, Trump’s tariffs, India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, and renewed tensions over Pakistan have all contributed to a “rapid and regrettable downturn” in U.S.-India relations. The fallout, they said, has been “replete with public insults and recriminations.” The authors warned that unless ties are repaired, the United States risks pushing India closer to rival powers. “As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chummy appearance with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the recent SCO Summit in Tianjin made clear, Washington could end up driving India directly into its adversaries’ arms.” Sullivan and Campbell concluded by urging U.S. policymakers to remember why India has become one of America’s most important global partners over the last generation — and why preserving that relationship is essential for countering China and securing the U.S.'s technological edge.

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