Former diplomat Vikas Swarup explained on Wednesday why he believes the United States’ relationship with Pakistan is “short-term”.
The former High Commissioner to Canada and author of Slumdog Millionaire, Swarup said, “We have to look at US’ relationship with Pakistan in a different lens from the US’ relationship with India.”
In an interview with news agency ANI, Swarup said he believes that “the relationship with Pakistan right now is a very tactical one and is a short-term one.”
He added that the US’ relationship with Pakistan is “primarily motivated by the financial gain that the [US President Donald] Trump family and [US’ Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve] Witkoff family hope to make from the cryptocurrency assets in Pakistan.”
Explaining his view about the US’ relation with India, Vikas Swarup said, “With India, I think, the relationship is much more strategic.”
“It is not so transactional as it is with Pakistan. That is why I personally feel that it is a passing phase,” he said.
“I call it a storm, not a rupture. You just have to wait out the storms. All storms eventually pass,” the ex-diplomat added.
Pakistan, the ‘Crypto King’
Vikas Swarup told ANI that Pakistan is reportedly positioning itself as the “Crypto King” of South Asia, possibly through its association with World Liberty Financial, which has ties to Trump’s family and Steve Witkoff’s family.
“More importantly, I think Pakistan is now trying to position itself as the ‘Crypto King’ of South Asia and there, through World Liberty Financial, in which Trump’s family has stakes, Steve Witkoff’s family has a stake, through that I think Pakistan has managed to project an image of itself as a reliable partner…All these things have led to Trump having a softer approach towards Pakistan,” said the former diplomat.
On Trump’s tariff against India
When asked about Trump’s “highest tariff” on imported Indian goods, Vikas Swarup stressed that these tariffs are part of a broader strategy to exert pressure and secure favourable trade terms from India.
“But that does not mean that he has given up on India or that India is now an adversary for him. I think this is part of his pressure tactics to secure a more favourable deal. India should not cave in because our strategic autonomy is non-negotiable,” Swarup told ANI.
In July, US President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods along with an unspecified penalty. Days later, he imposed another 25 per cent tariff, bringing the total to 50 per cent, citing India’s purchase of Russian oil.
‘If you cave in to a bully…’
Swarup said that India has not caved in to US pressure. He said, “India should not cave in because our strategic autonomy is non-negotiable.”
Attacking Trump over his huge tariffs, Swarup said, “…If you cave in to a bully then the bully will increase his demands. Then there will be even more demands.”
“So, I think we have done the right thing. India is too large, too proud a country to become a camp follower of any other country. Our strategic autonomy has been the bedrock of our foreign policy right from the 1950s. I don’t think that any government in Delhi can compromise on that,” said former diplomat Vikas Swarup on the tariff rift between India and the US.
