TOI Correspondent from Washington: As a country that has long had to pull off a balancing act between Moscow and Washington and has even had to weather threat of sanctions from US because of it, India is breathing a sigh of relief after President Trump moved to end the Russia-Ukraine war on Wednesday. On the flip side, Trump fired a warning shot ahead of his Thursday 4 pm meeting with Prime Minister Modi, with an all-caps message on his social media platform: “THREE GREAT WEEKS, PERHAPS THE BEST EVER, BUT TODAY IS THE BIG ONE: RECIPROCAL TARIFFS!!! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
The twin advances underscored the high-wire work Modi has to take off in protecting India’s passions in talks with the US President, while indirectly acknowledging Trump’s” America First” plan. Trump aimed to whip up the State Department in a separate professional order he signed on Wednesday to “one clear, integrated voice for US international connections” and to guarantee a” strong and effective approach to international ties that usually serves US interests first.”
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The EO declared,” No more does renegade actors who undermine our independence or security take advantage of America.” Trump has accused nearly the entire world, including India, of “ripping” off the US in business issues.
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However, there is at least some pleasure for India on the Russia before, despite the alleged Trump support for the Russian invasion and the “waste of the country” that were made in remarks made ahead of his Thursday meeting with Prime Minister Modi have traditionalist US foreign policy steeped in hostile ties with Russia.
India did not comment on the Russia-Ukraine growth, but Trump detractors on both sides of the political divide criticized the President for his perceived” sell-out,” even as NATO and Western leaders quashed over the certificate it might grant to Russian expansionism.
” Mr. President, Ukraine does only” be Russian eventually “if the United States abandons them to Putin’s terrible conquest…. Stand Agency. If Ukraine falls, it will only be a matter of time until Russia invades a NATO ally our troops will be required to defend”, Trump’s former vice-president Mike Pence, an creation Republican, said in a blog on X.
Trump made the suggestion in his comment after speaking with Putin and Voldymyr Zelensky, that Russia should be able to retain the territory because it “fought for it” in Ukraine and lost a lot of men doing so.
John Bolton, Trump’s National Security Advisor during his first name, was among those who unloaded on the President, saying” by making these and some agreements before negotiations also started, Trump has successfully surrendered to Putin on Ukraine”.
Trump will prefer Russia in Zelensky and Putin negotiations, I’ve said it several times. Russia’s military effectiveness has been terrible, but Trump is vindicating Putin’s decision to invade. As our enemies in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific is clearly see, the damage to US security interests may stretch far beyond Central Europe.
The Trump detente on the Russia-Ukraine border threatened to overwhelm the diplomatic US-India agreement, which in any case receives much media attention in Washington because of the promoted protection in the American media. After their initial discussions in the Oval Office and a private dinner, Trump and Modi are scheduled to address the media on Thursday at around 5 p.m. ( Friday, 3.30 am IST ).
The American side is expected to announce order of US military technology, power, and agricultural products in an effort to soothe Trump’s concerns about New Delhi’s trade surplus. What does India receive in return is ambiguous.
