• Source:JND
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Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin has stirred a fresh political debate in Washington by criticising US President Donald Trump for the unusually warm optics surrounding Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi this week. Speaking to ANI, Rubin argued that Trump’s handling of India had inadvertently pushed New Delhi and Moscow closer, adding that the former President “deserves a Nobel Prize” for it.

Rubin said Russia would interpret the reception in Delhi as a major diplomatic gain. “From Russia’s perspective, the visit is extremely positive. India has bestowed honours on Vladimir Putin that he can hardly get anywhere else in the world. I would actually argue that Donald Trump deserves a Nobel Prize for bringing India and Russia together the way he did,” he remarked.

‘Result Of Trump’s Gross Incompetence’: Rubin

Rubin, a long-time observer of South Asian geopolitics, said that the reaction within the US establishment is divided. According to him, Trump sees India’s outreach to Moscow as vindication. However, the broader American public and policy community, he noted, view it very differently.

“If you’re Donald Trump, it’s being perceived through the lens of ‘I told you so’. But if you’re the 65 per cent of Americans who dislike Trump, then what we are seeing now is the result of Donald Trump’s gross incompetence,” he said, referencing recent opinion polls.

Rubin added that many in Washington remain “flabbergasted” at how Trump reversed years of bipartisan effort to strengthen India–US ties. He went further, alleging that Trump’s Pakistan outreach may have been influenced by “flattery or bribery” from Islamabad or other regional players. “This is one disastrous bribe that is going to saddle America with a strategic deficit for decades,” he claimed, without offering direct evidence.

Rubin Calls US Stance On India’s Russian Oil Purchases ‘Hypocritical’

The former official also pushed back strongly against Washington’s criticism of India’s Russian oil imports. The US imposed steep tariffs on certain Indian goods earlier this year, arguing that New Delhi’s discounted oil purchases indirectly aid Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.

Rubin dismissed that view as inconsistent. “The US is being hypocritical because we also purchase from Russia, goods and materials for which we don’t have alternative markets. If we do not want India to buy Russian fuel, what are we going to do to provide India with cheaper fuel and in the quantities it needs?” he asked.

He said India’s energy needs are non-negotiable as the country moves towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy. “Indians elected Prime Minister Modi to represent Indian interests. If we don’t have solutions, the best approach is simply to shut up,” he added.

ALSO READ: From Peace Diplomacy To Energy Security: Key Takeaways From Modi–Putin Summit Amid US Tariffs, Ukraine War

During his two-day visit, Putin also assured PM Modi that Russia would remain a stable supplier of oil, gas, and coal. “We are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the fast-growing Indian economy,” he said at the joint press address on Friday.

ALSO READ: From Bhagavad Gita To Silver Horse: A Look At Gifts PM Modi Presented To President Putin

Putin left Delhi late Friday, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar seeing him off at the airport. Both sides reaffirmed plans to deepen economic and connectivity cooperation and set a 2030 target to take bilateral trade to new levels.

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