Tony Abbott says Trump misplayed his hand with India over tariffs
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said that US President Donald Trump “misplayed his hand” with India by imposing steep tariffs, calling the move a mistake that could hurt bilateral ties.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Abbott, a known supporter of Trump, said, “I am a supporter of President Trump, but I think he misplayed his hand with India recently when he imposed those punitive tariffs — particularly given that other countries, especially China, that are cheating here didn’t get the same kind of treatment.”
Abbott added that while the tariffs are a setback for India, he believes they will be short-lived. “I think this is a serious setback. But given the fundamental community of interest and values that India shares with other democracies, I think it will only be a temporary one. Let’s hope this can be remedied very quickly,” he said.
The former Australian leader also criticised the United States’ historic tilt toward Pakistan, saying Washington’s long-term interests lie with India. “One of the big mistakes that America made during the Cold War was consistently tilting towards Pakistan — a military dictatorship — as opposed to India, a liberal democracy,” Abbott said.
The US recently imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, including a 25% penalty linked to Russian energy purchases, arguing that India’s transactions help fund Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
New Delhi has pushed back, stating that its energy imports are guided by national interests and market realities, not political considerations. “India’s energy policy is designed to safeguard consumer interests and ensure stable supplies,” the Ministry of External Affairs reiterated.
Abbott’s remarks come amid tensions following Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would stop buying Russian oil — a statement that India has firmly denied, clarifying that no such conversation took place.
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