Former US Officials Urge Trump Administration Not to Hyphenate India-Pakistan Policy

Top former US officials have called on the Donald Trump administration to avoid framing its approach as an “India-Pakistan policy,” arguing that Washington should treat its relations with the two countries separately.

In a joint op-ed in Foreign Affairs, former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and ex-Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell noted that US policy in recent years has leaned heavily toward India for strategic reasons.

“Washington must refrain from hyphenating its relations with India and Pakistan: there should be no ‘India-Pakistan’ policy,” they wrote. “The United States has enduring interests in Pakistan in combating terrorism and limiting nuclear and missile proliferation, but these pale compared to Washington’s multifaceted and consequential interests regarding India’s future.”

The comments come amid Trump’s repeated claims of credit for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor, despite India denying any US involvement in the May 10 agreement. Recent US-Pakistan engagement included Trump welcoming Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, to the White House to discuss trade, economic development, and cryptocurrency.

Criticism of Trump’s Tariffs
Sullivan and Campbell also criticized Trump’s 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, noting that New Delhi needs to understand that the Republican leader’s “theatrics are often the prelude to dealmaking.” They stressed that US-India ties can and must be restored to prevent ceding technological and innovation advantages to China.

Downturn in India-US Relations
The ex-officials described the current trajectory of US-India relations as a “rapid and regrettable downturn,” citing Trump’s tariffs, India’s Russian oil purchases, and renewed tensions over Pakistan. “Public insults and recriminations have marred the relationship,” they wrote.

They warned that if the current path continues, the US risks losing a critical strategic partner. “As Prime Minister Modi’s recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO Summit in Tianjin highlighted, the United States could end up driving India directly into its adversaries’ arms,” the op-ed added.

Sullivan and Campbell emphasized that India’s emergence over the past generation as one of America’s most important global partners should guide US diplomacy going forward.