US President Donald Trump’s strategy regarding India, along with his consistent support for Pakistan, has undermined the India-US relations that were meticulously developed over the past twenty years, as reported on August 14. This has also inflicted considerable harm to what was once regarded as a “defining partnership of the 21st century.” According to the report from the International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS), Trump’s actions went beyond tariffs, as he “repeatedly and deliberately” questioned India’s fundamental national security issues, especially concerning Kashmir, targeting its most sensitive aspects. “Previous US administrations — spanning from Bill Clinton’s second term to George W. Bush and Barack Obama — made substantial investments in fostering strategic trust with India. They generally honored India’s boundaries regarding Kashmir and avoided actions that could strengthen Pakistan. In stark contrast, Trump has openly commended Pakistan, empowered its military leadership, diminished India’s regional influence, and weakened its efforts against cross-border terrorism on the international stage,” the report stated. Recently, the US has also served as a platform for Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir to make nuclear threats against India, indicating a significant and unprecedented decline in Washington-New Delhi relations. “By consistently endorsing Pakistan and neglecting India’s fundamental concerns, Trump has diminished two decades of mutual trust, comparing the setback to a regression to Cold War–era suspicion and strategic distance,” the report quoted a senior Indian diplomat as saying.
It emphasized that the reckless and aggressive comments made on American soil must be taken seriously, particularly the nuclear threat, in which Munir asserted that Pakistan is a nuclear nation prepared to “take half the world down with us.” Such alarming statements not only underscore Pakistan’s hostile intentions but also reflect the strategic confidence it has gained from recent US backing. The report underscored that in the ongoing wave of diplomatic efforts, Beijing has adopted a noticeably gentler tone towards India, which should serve as a clear alert to Washington. “The change in tone has been bolstered by the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s critique of US tariffs on Indian products, cautioning that ‘if you give a bully an inch, he will take a mile’ — a statement echoed across state-controlled media to depict Trump’s trade approach as unreasonable and strategically flawed,” the report highlighted. Following the imposition of significant tariffs on India by the US, Chinese state media has made a concerted effort to commend India, showing “respect and urgency” in preparing for Prime Minister Modi’s forthcoming visit. Beijing’s rhetoric has evolved, with the Chinese state-run newspaper Global Times emphasizing that “as regional powers, China and India share extensive common interests in areas such as counterterrorism, trade, and cultural exchange,” and highlighting that “a robust China–India relationship yields positive spillover effects for both the region and the world.” As per the ICPS report, the US must acknowledge that undermining India does not strengthen Washington’s position; rather, it only empowers its adversaries. Every significant US strategic document highlights India’s critical role in counterbalancing China in the Indo-Pacific.
