When Donald Trump became the President of the United States, Indians felt happier because, during his first term, he was not against India. Apart from that, he always appeared fond of the Indian government and maintained a good friendship with Prime Minister Modi. But unfortunately, Trump later showed that he is not truly a friend of anyone except himself. A clear example is how, within just six months of becoming President, he distanced himself from Elon Musk, who had helped him during his campaign.
The reality is that America has never been a genuine friend to any country. At the same time, they are masters at manipulating other nations and their leaders for their own interests. For many years, Pakistan was considered a good friend of America. Later, when the United States began showing greater intimacy toward India, it distanced itself from Pakistan. Only then did America start branding Pakistan as a terrorist-based country. However, the United States never completely severed its ties with Pakistan. They always kept Pakistan in their backyard, ready to use whenever it suited their purpose. There are many such examples, South Korea, Taiwan, and others, where America continues to treat nations like puppets.
India, being aware of these facts, has maintained a better rapport with the United States for over a decade. During this period, bilateral relations in defense and economics were growing steadily. However, after Trump became President for the second time, his approach toward India changed drastically. He even dared to invite the Pakistani army chief while simultaneously hosting the Indian Prime Minister, allowing the Pakistani side to speak against India on american soil on multiple occasions. Figures like Muneer were even provided better platforms in the United States than in Pakistan to voice anti-India sentiments. Shockingly, the Trump administration never imposed restrictions on such speeches, even when they openly spoke of nuclear war against India.
Adding to this, Trump launched a tariff war against several nations, with India being his first target. His justification was that India was buying Russian oil, and by doing so, indirectly supporting the Russia-Ukraine war. But this argument is hollow. China is also purchasing oil from Russia and, interestingly, reselling it to European countries. Yet Trump imposed no extra tariffs on China beyond the usual. On the contrary, he often displayed affection toward Russian President Vladimir Putin. On many occasions, Trump criticized Ukrainian leadership but never spoke strongly against Putin. Recently, he even invited Putin to Alaska for discussions about the Ukraine war, claiming he could broker a deal between the two countries. However, the discussion appeared one-sided, as Trump seemed to forget to invite the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The choice of Alaska for the meeting may well have been Putin’s. Since Alaska was once part of Russia before being sold to America, Putin might feel that the soil still belongs to him.
In the midst of all this, India is suffering. Trump seems to hold an old grudge against the country, though only he may know the real reason. On one hand, he imposes heavy tariffs on India. On the other, he treats Putin with honor, even escorting him with war jets during his arrival, perhaps to please him.
This shows a clear contradiction. While Trump accuses India of buying oil directly from Russia with Indian currency, he himself treats Russia far better. The truth is, Trump is not concerned about Ukraine at all. His real interest lies in the American dollar. Had India purchased Russian oil using US dollars, he would probably have accepted it.
For India, this situation carries a big lesson, how important it is to become more self-sustained. We have a strong domestic market. Instead of depending heavily on foreign countries, India must focus on strengthening internal trade and keeping better control over foreign currencies. There is hope, though, as India has already urged BRICS countries to accept the Indian currency for international trade.