Ex-Pentagon official says Trump deserves Nobel for uniting India and Russia

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 6, 2025 02:52 IST

A former Pentagon official has tossed a surprise nomination into India–Russia diplomacy, arguing that the man who deserves a Nobel Prize for Putin’s warm welcome in New Delhi is not Vladimir Putin, but Donald Trump.

Michael Rubin, speaking to ANI, said the Russian president’s visit to India looked extremely positive from Moscow’s perspective and credited Trump for driving India and Russia closer. He said the honours India extended to Putin were unmatched anywhere else and claimed Trump’s role in shaping that dynamic shouldn’t be overlooked.

“I would actually argue that Donald Trump deserves a Nobel Prize for bringing India and Russia together the way he did,” Rubin said. He then questioned how many agreements signed during the visit would translate into genuine cooperation, and how many were propelled by India’s unhappiness with how Trump has treated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India more broadly.

Rubin framed the US policy reaction in two sharply contrasting camps. “If you’re Donald Trump, it’s being perceived through the lens of ‘I told you so,’” he said, suggesting Trump believes India’s outreach to Russia validates his own narrative.

“But if you’re the 65 percent of Americans who dislike Donald Trump, what we are seeing now is the result of Donald Trump’s gross incompetence,” he added, accusing the former president of reversing US–India ties and making decisions influenced by flattery or even alleged bribery attempts by Pakistan, Turkey and Qatar.

SHARP CRITICISM OF TRUMP'S HANDLING OF INDIA TIES

Rubin said many in Washington are flabbergasted at how Trump undermined strategic alignment with India, calling it a disastrous bribe that will leave the US with a long-term strategic deficit.

He argued that Trump will never admit fault, instead spinning India’s Russia outreach as proof of his foreign-policy instincts.

RUBIN SAYS THE US SHOULD ‘STOP LECTURING INDIA’

Responding to Putin’s pledge of uninterrupted fuel supplies to India, Rubin said Americans often fail to understand India’s basic strategic needs.

“Indians elected Prime Minister Modi to represent Indian interests,” he said. “India is the most populous country, soon to be the world’s third-largest economy, and it needs energy.”

He called Washington’s position hypocritical, pointing out that the US also buys from Russia when alternatives are limited. “If we don’t want India to purchase Russian fuel, what are we going to do to provide fuel at a cheaper price and in the quantities India needs?” he asked.

“If we don’t have an answer for that, our best approach is simply to shut up because India needs to take care of Indian security first.”

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