India Is Hedging Against Trump’s Unpredictability—Here’s How

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Donald Trump’s unpredictability is pushing India to trust America less. But for now, despite repeated humiliation, Modi is sticking with the United States.

For all the turbulence Donald Trump has introduced into American foreign policy, the relationship between the United States and India has proved harder to break. During his second term, Trump has treated tariffs as instruments of diplomacy, pressured India over its purchases of Russian oil, cultivated Pakistan and pursued a transactional relationship with China. For New Delhi, this has made Washington’s commitment to the Asian balance of power less predictable.

Nonetheless, India has not retreated from the United States. Narendra Modi is keeping Washington at the centre of India’s strategy while building alternatives to ensure that no single partner can hold the country hostage. India is not trying to stand equidistant from Washington, Beijing and Moscow. It is trying to make itself less vulnerable to the choices of any one of them.



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