Washington DC [US], December 6 (ANI): Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin said Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India is being viewed by many Americans as the result of US President Donald Trump’s “gross incompetence.” Rubin said roughly 65 percent of Americans dislike Trump, according to recent polls, and that group interprets the visit as confirmation of Trump’s failures.
“It is being perceived in two different ways. If you’re Donald Trump, it’s being perceived through the lens of ‘I told you so’ that this embrace of India towards Russia is affirming what Donald Trump wants his spin to be. Because Donald Trump isn’t going to admit that he is the one at fault. If you’re the 65% of Americans who dislike Donald Trump, according to the recent polls, then what we are seeing now is the result of Donald Trump’s gross incompetence,” Rubin said.
Rubin also criticised the US for “lecturing” India over its purchase of discounted Russian oil, calling Washington hypocritical because it also conducts trade with Moscow. He defended New Delhi’s decision to prioritise its energy needs as it grows economically.
“What Americans don’t understand is that Indians elected Prime Minister Modi to represent Indian interests. India is the most populous country. It’s soon going to become the world’s third-largest economy, and for that, it needs energy. The US is being hypocritical because we purchase from Russia. We purchase goods and materials for which we don’t have alternative markets. We are being hypocritical when we lecture India,” he said.
Rubin questioned Washington’s August move to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on Indian imports tied to New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases, arguing that if the US opposes India buying Russian fuel, it must offer a cheaper, reliable alternative in the quantities India requires. “If we don’t have an answer for that, our best approach is simply to shut up because India needs to take care of Indian security first,” he added.
Putin, during his two-day New Delhi visit, asserted that Moscow would remain a steady supplier of energy to India. “Russia is a reliable supply of oil, gas, coal and everything that is required for the development of India’s energy. We are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the fast-growing Indian economy,” he said at a joint press event with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rubin said many Americans are “flabbergasted” that Trump’s actions have weakened US-India ties, speculating whether Pakistan’s “flattery” or “bribery” — or support from Turkey and Qatar — influenced Trump. “This is one disastrous bribe that is going to saddle America with a strategic deficit for decades to come,” he said.
Putin concluded his visit to Delhi on Friday night, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar accompanying him to the airport. During the visit, Putin and Modi co-hosted the India-Russia Annual Summit, agreeing to deepen cooperation on stable and efficient transport corridors and to elevate the India-Russia economic partnership by 2030. (ANI)
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