Trump Proves Untrustworthy: Choses Convenience Over Commitment

While there would be various versions of Trump's new found love for using trade as a tool to set things right, his recent gestures vis a vis India have certainly made an average Indian think that the US can never emerge as a reliable partner or friend and it must respect its old and trusted partner, Russia that has proved to be an all-weather friend.

This is likely to create a new world order where Russia and India would sail together. Trump's insensitivity has diluted the US commitment to democracy and its fight against terrorism. Under Trump, the US seems to be setting things right with China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and even Iran. Perhaps the US has realized that it should settle down to gaining economically and ignore its ideological commitment of fighting for human rights, against terrorism and work for climate change.

India on the other hand has a huge fight against terrorism that would continue until Pakistan stops training and sending terrorists from across the borders. India on that count has an existential issue. If it has to live in peace, it has to win the war against terrorism. This opens up the possibility of future conflict with Pakistan sooner rather than later.

Most Indians were happy at Trump's ascension in the United States while many of India's friends in the US warned saying Biden was better. Now it appears that the working style of Trump may make his tenure one of the lowest points in Indo-US relations.

Trump sounded ideologically coherent when he spoke against terrorism and asserted the need to strengthen democracies. On terrorism, he had said many times that India had the right to retaliate. His personal equation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also indicated that this would be India's best time with the US. Now it appears it was too early to judge Trump.

Trump's problem is his misplaced understanding that the world would do what he wants. If you are his friend, you must kowtow to whatever he says. After all there can be no equality between the leader of the strongest country and that of other countries. In his interaction with world leaders, he makes it clear that they should know the status he commands.

Blinded by the economic possibilities Pakistan may provide, he failed to understand that India's conflict with Pakistan is not for reasons that can be addressed through trade. India has fought four wars with Pakistan over Kashmir and now is bleeding because Pakistan has been sending terrorists to kill people in India.

Trump failed to understand that India and Pakistan cannot be clubbed together without seriously endangering the efforts India has made in the last ten years to persuade the world not to look at India with the binary of India-Pakistan relations. India would continue to do so.

Pakistan has worked for the US and has sold Pakistan's self-respect for Dollars. It took money from the US to track Al Qaida chief Osama Bin Laden who was later found to be hiding in Abbottabad in Pakistan right under the eyes of the army and the ISI. The US has evolved a strategy of buying Pakistan with Dollars.

India that is soon going to become the fourth largest economy in the world cannot be persuaded to abandon self-respect and its stand on terrorism and Pakistan for the love of getting a trade deal. This is here that Trump underestimated Modi. It is easier to dangle the carrot of trade before weaker countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh.

No doubt Modi and Trump built a very friendly relations and this trickled down to Indians also feeling that the US was India's friend. But a friend is tested when you are in a difficult situation. Trump was appreciated when his government said that the US would stay out of Indo-Pakistan conflict and it was none of their business to interfere.

This was appreciated because India knew that it could handle its problems on its own strength. Since 2020, India and China locked horns on the borders, but no country came to support India. India used its own strength to tame China's expansionist intention. During the recent conflict with Pakistan, India came to know who is a friend or not.

If Trump had read a few things about Modi, he would have known that he does not like to be patronized but would be trusted friend once relationship is built on equal footing. First Barak Obama and then Trump in his first term treated Modi with respect and this brought the two countries closer than ever before. As a friend you are expected to be at least silent on an issue that is so sensitive to the heart of every Indian.

The first mistake was announcement by the US of aid to Pakistan of USD 397 million to service the F16 aircrafts meant to fight counter terrorism. This came on 25 February 2025 and contrasted with the earlier tenure of Trump when in 2018 he had taken the decision to stop security assistance to Islamabad. This came despite a 90-day freeze on foreign aid which he announced after taking over as US President. Was it because the US trusts that its former ally would come out of China's influence and get back to the US fold once again?

Was it essential for the US to influence the IMF to come out with a bailout package of USD 1 Billion (9 May) at a time when Pakistan was locked in conflict with India and both sides were locked in an intense conflict. At least the decision could have been postponed.
What message the US sent? That it was sending money to Pakistan and its priority was trade when

India had launched a decisive action against terrorists operating from Pakistan. How would an average Indian feel about the US move. The US must know that the move and gestures of leaders are shaped by public mood.

It is quite possible that some US officials must have spoken to Indian authorities to know if India would accept ceasefire if Pakistan proposed. India had always said that it would not retaliate if Pakistan does not escalate or provoke. Pakistan needed a face saver and the US gave it the face saver by going to town on this even before the two countries announced the ceasefire. If he was a little more sensitive and had understood the seriousness of the Indian approach, he would have waited for the two countries to make their own announcements.

Indian government under Modi would not accept this since this would sound mediation. Modi again bailed out Trump by not contradicting him directly. He merely said that the DGMO of Pakistan approached India for a ceasefire and India accepted but decided to keep a watch. The government had to come out and clarify later that there was no trade deal involved after Trump said he had offered trade deal to get the two sides to accept ceasefire. While this might be true for Pakistan but India would never accept any condition.

The trade deal which the US is negotiating with India has nothing to do with the conflicts between India and Pakistan. This is being negotiated and renegotiated and is moving on terms of equality. If the US wants to enter the vast Indian market it has to open its own market. It cannot be one sided.

The latest salvo from Trump asking Apple CEO Tim Cook not to do manufacturing in India and instead to manufacture Apple products in the US. Theres is nothing wrong in asking Apple to do so if you sincerely want to encourage Made in the US. However, this could have been done more discreetly. "Saying you don't need to help India and India can take care of themselves" was in a bad taste.

Trump has opposed India's tariff standards on US goods and the two sides are in the process of renegotiating the entire structure. Even before a decision has been taken, he said India is offering zero tariffs on US goods. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishakar said any trade deal has to be mutual. Until that is done any judgment on that would be premature.

While talking about Trump an average Indian would not forget the way illegal Indian migrants were sent from the US to India in Handcuff and legs chained in full public view as if the US was trying to make a statement. It did not so with other illegal migrants from other countries.

Trump should know that his friendship is proving to be costly for India. Modi is a more matured politician and hence he would never say anything that would cloud bilateral relations. For him country's interest is above all. Although he may not speak on every issue he knows who are India's friends, fence sitters and supporters of terrorism one way or the other. And India cannot compromise on it fight against terrorism.