“In his mind, India charges high tariffs and that must be fixed. But beyond that, he’s taken India’s refusal for third-party mediation on Kashmir very personally,” said Trigunayat. He pointed out that Trump has repeatedly claimed to have mediated between India and Pakistan—an assertion that India has consistently denied.
According to Trigunayat, Trump’s frustration is compounded by the failure of his foreign policy bets in regions like Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa. With no traction against China or Russia due to America’s own dependencies—like rare earths—he’s now turning the heat on BRICS countries. “South Africa, Brazil, and now India—Trump is targeting countries he sees as pushing de-dollarisation,” he added.Veena Sikri, also a former ambassador, believes that tariffs have been a long-standing focus for President Trump, dating back to his first term. He viewed them as a major contribution of his presidency and aimed to make them a central feature of his second term as well. However, she emphasised that imposing tariffs is ultimately not a sound policy approach.
For the entire discussion, watch the accompanying video
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