VOI World/ Desk
A new book on US President Donald Trump’s second administration has claimed that he ignored official trade data before imposing steep tariffs on India and rejected a proposal to involve Indian troops in a Ukraine peacekeeping mission.
The book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, describes discussions inside the White House over trade policy and the Ukraine war.
According to the authors, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick presented data from the Office of the US Trade Representative showing India’s tariffs on American goods were significantly lower than Trump believed. Despite being told the figures were accurate, Trump reportedly dismissed them and proceeded with higher tariffs on Indian imports.
The book also says US Vice President JD Vance suggested that countries such as India or Saudi Arabia could contribute peacekeeping troops for Ukraine. Trump allegedly rejected the idea immediately, saying India would not agree to such a role.
The revelations come at a sensitive time, with India and the United States simultaneously pursuing an interim bilateral trade agreement while managing differences over tariffs and market access.
Although the claims are based on accounts in the newly published book and have not been independently verified by the White House, they offer fresh insight into the internal decision-making that shaped US policy towards India.
The disclosures are likely to attract attention in New Delhi, where officials continue to engage Washington on trade negotiations while expanding cooperation in defence, technology and the Indo-Pacific.
