Trump 2.0 was expected to be good for India. But after an early promise, the links of unexpectedly sour. Mint is investigating a sudden turn of what India should do and whether the recent development could strengthen the axes of Russian-India-China (RIC).
1. Was the relationship in India and the US low?
Yes. On June 27, US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on goods imported from India along with an unspecified sentence for continuing defense and energy trade in Russia in Delhi. His rhetoric hit even more than tariffs. Trump accused India of having some of the “highest tariffs in the world” and “the most strenuous and most unfavorable non -monetary trade barriers”. The next day he escalated and said that Russia and India “can take their dead economies together.”
At the same time, Trump becomes Pakistan and will complete a business agreement with Islamabad last week.
2. What triggered Trump’s anger?
Experts point to several factors.
The Indian reluctance to open its agricultural sector frustrated Trump during business interviews. Some believe that an increase in tariff can be a pressure tactic to enforce a wider market access.
Its anger over the energy and defense of India with Russia is also strategic: it is considered part of a larger offer to push President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. Trump, some believes, now realizes that Putin has played him.
He is also suspicious that Indian growing harmonization with BRICS, which he considers an anti-west block. He is afraid that BRICS can initiate a common currency that could compete or replace the US dollar as a standard currency.
Another, more personal factor: India did not accumulate Trump for helping the de-schooling of a short conflict in India, Pakistan at the beginning of this year. Pakistan, on the other hand, publicly acknowledged its role. Trump is reportedly confused that India did not welcome him to the Nobel Peace Prize.
3. How did India react?
Although the Indian reaction was limited, a sudden decline in a sudden decline in bonhomy has been detained. The government said it will protect national interests in continuing bilateral business negotiations in good faith.
The Ministry of External Affairs stressed that the partnership in India-USA is rooted in shared interests, democratic values and strong ties to humans-and in the past it has weathered turbulence.
4. Will Trump’s actions push India close to the China axis in China?
This would require a major shift in Indian foreign policy, but some experts do not exclude it. Trump again upset his friend (India), while the opponent (Pakistan) that hit the nerve in the new Delhi.
Last week, China publicly supported the Russian proposal to revive the RIC trilateral mechanism and described it essential for regional and global stability.
5. Could the melting in India-China help?
Maybe. After Galwan Valley clashes in 2020, the relations between India-China stiffened. In recent months, however, has experienced attempts to normalize, including ministerial visits and meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in October 2024.
6. What should India do?
Most foreign policy experts advise caution. Indian ties with the US beyond Trump’s Presidency and should not be derailed by short -term volatility, they say.
While a stable relationship with China is welcome, they warn that it remains a strategic opponent. India, add, must work to solve trade irritation and ensure mutually beneficial agreements with the US.
It should reiterate its obligation to multiply foreign policy and emphasize its long -term ties with Russia, although in recent years the share of Moscow in defensive needs has decreased.
(Tagstotranslate) Trump India Relations 2025
