Foreign Policy Live

Is Trump Making India Turn Away From the United States?

Sep 3, 2025
Nirupama Rao, a former Indian Foreign Secretary and ambassador, shares her insights on the shifting dynamics between India and the United States under Trump. She discusses the potential impacts of Modi's increasing ties with Russia and China, raising questions about India's geopolitical realignment. Rao emphasizes India's pursuit of strategic autonomy while navigating trade tensions and evolving global alliances. Their conversation also touches on India's unique role in a multipolar world, likening it to a 'titan in chrysalis,' poised for greater influence on the global stage.
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INSIGHT

China's Grand Theater Versus Real Alliances

  • Ravi Agrawal argues that China is presenting itself as a predictable multilateral alternative to the US amid recent US tariff bullying.
  • He warns that appearances of a new alliance are overblown because many invited countries still distrust Beijing.
INSIGHT

Shock Over Sudden US Policy Shift

  • Nirupama Rao says Indians feel shocked and betrayed by the abrupt US policy shift under Trump 2.0.
  • She notes strategic convergence coexists now with strong political acrimony between the two countries.
ANECDOTE

Mediation Claim That Sparked Offense

  • Rao recounts Trump's public claims of mediating India-Pakistan tensions and the resulting Indian denial and upset.
  • She highlights how Trump's ego and the Nobel Prize talk deeply offended Indian sensibilities about bilateral resolution.
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