A former Pentagon official, Michael Rubin, has accused Pakistan of using bribery and flattery to derail the US-India relationship during Donald Trump’s presidency. Rubin expressed his dismay, stating that many in the US were “flabbergasted” by Trump’s reversal of policies concerning India. He suggested that Pakistan’s efforts, potentially involving financial incentives from Turkey and Qatar directed towards Trump, were the driving force behind these policy shifts. Rubin warned that this alleged “disastrous bribe” could result in a significant strategic disadvantage for the United States for many years.
Rubin pointed to Trump’s recent efforts to strengthen ties with Pakistan, including visits by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir to the White House, where gifts of rare earth samples were reportedly presented. He implied these actions were part of Pakistan’s strategy to influence US policy.
In addition to criticizing the impact on US-India relations, Rubin also attributed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to India to Trump’s “gross incompetence.” He criticized the US for its perceived hypocrisy in condemning India’s purchase of Russian crude oil, while the US itself continues to trade with Russia. The Trump administration’s imposition of a 50% tariff on India for this reason was met with Indian criticism. Rubin concluded that while Trump might attempt to spin these outcomes favorably, a significant portion of the American public views them as evidence of his administrative incompetence.