There should be no India-Pakistan policy: Top former US officials warn Trump administration

In a joint op-ed for Foreign Affairs, ex-National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell cautioned the government saying the US diplomacy has been tilted towards India in recent times for not without a reason.

They wrote, "Washington must also refrain from hyphenating its relations with India and Pakistan: there should be no ‘India-Pakistan’ policy. US diplomacy in recent years has been heavily weighted toward New Delhi for a reason.

"The United States has enduring interests in Pakistan in combating terrorism and limiting nuclear and missile proliferation, but these pale in significance to Washington’s multifaceted and consequential interests regarding India’s future."

Though US President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed he brokered the New Delhi-Islamabad military conflict, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi categorically rejected it saying no global leader asked to stop Operation Sindoor, which was launched by the country's Armed Forces to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Modi referred to a call from US Vice President JD Vance who had communicated to him that Pakistan was "planning to launch a major offensive" to which the Prime Minister, as he claimed, warned Islamabad to "face dire consequences" via the US Veep.

"No global leader urged India to halt the operation. On the night of May 9, the Vice President of the United States attempted to contact me. He tried for an hour, but I was in a meeting with the military and was unable to answer.

"Later, I returned his call. During our conversation, the Vice President informed me that Pakistan was planning to launch a major offensive. In response, I firmly stated, "If this is Pakistan's intent, they will face dire consequences," Modi said.

The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor hitting nine terrorist bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

The military conflict escalated after Pakistan targeted civilians across the borders without any provocation to be aptly countered by the Indian military.

Nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were targeted and destroyed in 25 minutes of Operation Sindoor.

The terrorists camps were the major training hubs of Pak-based terror groups- Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Touching upon the ongoing tariff war between US and India, Sullivan and Campbell wrote, "Tariffs, Russian oil purchases, and renewed tensions regarding Pakistan have caused a rapid and regrettable downturn in the U.S.-Indian relationship, replete with public insults and recriminations.

"As Washington and New Delhi evaluate the state of things, it is prudent to remember why India has emerged over the last generation as one of the United States’ most important global partners.

"It is also time to consider how to fortify a relationship that has been one of the brightest spots of bipartisan support in a divided Washington where concerted international purpose has been in short supply," they wrote.

The Trump administration, which was earlier viewed as India-friendly, has slapped a 25 percent tariff on the South Asian country for its high tariffs on American exports and another 25 percent for purchasing oil from Russia which is fighting a war against Ukraine.

The White House, which has singled out India over Russian oil purchase, said the second 25 percent tariff will be effective from August 27, 2025.

Since the conflict in Ukraine began in early 2022, India significantly increased its imports of discounted Russian crude oil—now comprising over 30 percent of its total crude imports.

Indian refineries then export refined petroleum products globally which critics, especially in the U.S., argue that indirectly supports Russia’s war effort by funneling money into its economy.

In response, the US proposed tariffs and trade measures targeting India’s exports to discourage this behavior.