In diplomacy, courtesy and goodwill are of great importance. For centuries, this unwritten convention has guided the conduct of nation-states, even those who are otherwise sworn enemies. The United States of America, which prides itself on holding the ‘highest standards of diplomatic conduct’ in its relations with its allies, is, in recent times, indulging in behaviour that not only constitutes an affront to the norms and conventions of global diplomacy but is a stunning exercise in how to alienate important allies.
One such ally is India. The reset in relations, which commenced following the lifting of the sanctions imposed in the aftermath of the 1998 nuclear tests at Pokhran, heralded a new era in Indo-US relations. Since then, both countries have managed to strengthen their relations pillar to pillar in almost every known sector of the economy. On top of that, India and the US had achieved something rare — geopolitical convergence on key issues such as China, rules-based international order, among others.
However, the Trump administration has proven to be an aberration in that regard. While the first Trump term saw the bilateral relationship being more or less stable despite the mercurial personality of Trump, the second term, however, is an altogether different story. Armed with a formidable mandate and in possession of the clear knowledge that this is going to be his last tenure in office, Trump has been indulging in what many commentators call ‘wrecking ball diplomacy’.
Armed with a formidable mandate and in possession of the clear knowledge that this is going to be his last tenure in office, President Donald Trump has been indulging in what many commentators call ‘wrecking ball diplomacy’
India, unfortunately, had to bear the brunt of this. The first variable in this Trump administration’s alienating actions against India is Russia. While there was little doubt that Trump would apply some sort of pressure on Russia to force it to the negotiating table to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine, what was bizarre was the logic behind that pressure. As the Trump administration couldn’t directly pressure Russia, it decided to target India; the 50% tariffs imposed on India are an economic exercise in self-defeat. While India was forced to reduce the purchase of Russian crude, it had an important effect — it revived India’s suspicions about the genuineness of American intentions. This suspicion was present right from the days of the Cold War. It got somewhat subdued during the northward swing in ties in recent decades, but never went away. India is very much aware of the fact that Americans cannot be trusted.
The first variable in the Trump administration’s alienating actions against India is Russia, specifically India’s purchase of oil. As the Trump administration couldn’t directly pressure Russia, it decided to target India by imposing higher tariffs
The tariffs also signal another thing — the Trump administration cannot target somebody of their own size; in this context, that country is China. Given the disproportionate control China has on some of the most important rare earth minerals that constitute the backbone of American frontier technologies, the USA has, therefore, not dared to target China. Even the so-called hefty tariffs Trump imposed on China were quickly rescinded when Beijing started tightening the supply chains of the minerals and imposed counter tariffs. This is reflective of how the Trump administration suffers from classic playground bully syndrome.
The second variable is Pakistan. Despite the administration possessing clear knowledge about the terror background and activities of Pakistan, Trump and his acolytes chose to court them. The deepening of relations between the top echelons of the Pakistani military-civilian regime in recent times, particularly starting from the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, shows how the Trump administration’s claims of dealing with terrorists with an iron fist are hollow to the absolute core. They can strike ISIS targets in Nigeria, but refuse to hold Pakistan accountable.
The Trump administration’s actions have proven to be a significant setback to US-India relations. It is hoped that better sense prevails in Washington and it starts mending fences with Delhi before it is too late, and India starts exploring options
Further, the repeated attempts at taking credit for stopping hostilities between India and Pakistan in the four-day skirmish are another indication that personal rapport matters more to the Trump administration than maintaining goodwill in ties.
The third variable is the tightening of immigration rules. The announcement of a $100,000 visa fee to be paid by an employer for bringing in skilled workers from India, coupled with social media screening as a necessity during the scrutiny of US visa applications are self-defeating way of trying to prevent more Indians from moving and working in the United States.
Taken together, the second Trump administration’s actions so far have proven to be a grave setback in ties with New Delhi. It is only to be hoped that better sense prevails in Washington and they start mending fences with India before it is too late, and India starts concretely exploring a range of options.
–The writer is currently working as a Research Associate at Defence Research and Studies (dras.in) and is a columnist. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
