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Why is Trump destroying India-US relationship? 'It's hard to explain,' says Erik Solheim
US President Donald Trump's recent decision to impose tariffs on India has come under sharp scrutiny from international observers, with Norwegian diplomat and former UN environment chief Erik Solheim questioning why Trump is working so hard to destroy the India–US relationship.
In a widely shared post on social media platform X, Solheim expressed concern over what he described as Trump's repeated attempts to 'destroy' ties between the world's two largest democracies.
'Why does Trump work so hard to destroy the India–US relationship?' Solheim asked. 'It's hard to explain why Trump works so hard to downgrade the relationship.'
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Why does Trump work so hard to destroy the India 🇮🇳- US 🇺🇸 relationship?
The US and India are connected by many ties, not least people to people contact. When Trump was elected he was more popular in India than in the US. Most Indians believed the relationship would go into an… pic.twitter.com/f8lOAebtYP — Erik Solheim (@ErikSolheim) August 7, 2025
Citing a range of decisions made during Trump's ongoing term, Solheim accused the president of undermining a once-promising strategic partnership through actions that display 'disrespect' and a disregard for mutual interests.
'When Trump was elected, he was more popular in India than in the US. Most Indians believed the relationship would go into an all-time romance,' Solheim noted, referring to the optimism that had marked the beginning of Trump's first term in office.
But instead of building on shared values and growing economic and strategic ties, he said that Trump has taken a series of steps that have strained relations. Among them:
Claiming sole credit for the India–Pakistan ceasefire, sidelining India's role and ignoring its diplomatic agency.
Hosting Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir for a two-hour lunch at the White House, bypassing Pakistan's civilian leadership, a move Solheim described as 'unprecedented' and diplomatically tone-deaf.
Calling the Indian economy 'dead', despite it being the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
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Imposing a 25% tariff on Indian goods, in retaliation for India not opening its market to US agricultural products, a demand seen as politically and economically untenable for India's smallholder farmers.
Adding another 25% tariff after India joined much of the Global South in calling for a ceasefire in Ukraine without backing sanctions against Russia.
Solheim said these actions are not only undiplomatic but dangerous in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. 'We are at a pivotal time in global geopolitics. All nations need to understand the message: To Trump, loyalty and old bonds mean nothing.'
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