9 6 6 ▁French ▁President ▁Charles ▁de ▁Ga ulle ▁with d rew ▁France ▁from ▁NAT O . ▁The ▁withdraw al ▁of ▁France , ▁along ▁with ▁West ▁German ▁and ▁British ▁defense ▁cut s , ▁substantial ly ▁weak ened ▁NAT O , ▁but ▁the ▁al liance ▁remained ▁int act . ▁Johnson ▁ref rained ▁from ▁critic izing ▁de ▁Ga ulle ▁and ▁he ▁resist ed ▁calls ▁to ▁reduce ▁U . S . ▁tro op ▁levels ▁on ▁the ▁continent . ▁ ▁South ▁Asia ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁the ▁American ▁al liance ▁with ▁Pakistan ▁had ▁caused ▁India ▁to ▁move ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁Johnson ▁hoped ▁that ▁a ▁more ▁even hand ed ▁policy ▁towards ▁both ▁countries ▁would ▁soft en ▁the ▁t ensions ▁in ▁South ▁Asia ▁and ▁bring ▁both ▁nations ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁He ▁ended ▁the ▁traditional ▁American ▁division ▁of ▁South ▁Asia ▁into ▁' al lies ' ▁and ▁' neut r als ' ▁and ▁sought ▁to ▁develop ▁good ▁relations ▁with ▁both ▁India ▁and ▁Pakistan ▁by ▁supp lying ▁arms ▁and ▁money ▁to ▁both ▁while ▁maintain ing ▁neutral ity ▁in ▁their ▁inten se ▁border ▁fe ud s . ▁His ▁policy ▁pushed ▁Pakistan ▁closer ▁to ▁Commun ist ▁China ▁and ▁India ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁Johnson ▁also ▁started ▁to ▁cultiv ate ▁warm ▁personal ▁relations ▁with ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁L al ▁Bah ad ur ▁Sh ast ri ▁of ▁India ▁and ▁President ▁Ay ub ▁Khan ▁of ▁Pakistan . ▁However , ▁he ▁infl amed ▁anti - American ▁sent iments ▁in ▁both ▁countries ▁when ▁he ▁cancel led ▁the ▁vis