Much of the pessimism about the potential implications of Donald Trump’s second term for the international order may be exaggerated. For those of us studying international relations through the lens of history and how States tend to behave, the foreign policy of the newly inaugurated Trump presidency feels like a déjà vu moment. International politics is an anarchic place. Powerful States attempt to set the terms, and the less powerful ones strategise their moves. This framing is important to make sense of not just the world according to President Trump but also Indo-United States (US) relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US led to several significant outcomes, as reflected in the extensive 36-page joint statement. However, not all the developments are positive. In that sense, this visit tells us that Indo-US relations will see many ups and downs in the next four years.

That said, it is important to highlight points: One, isolating America’s relations with India from the broader context of Trump’s foreign policy will be an analytical mistake. Two, the crisis in world politics today resulting from Trumpian disruption offers an opportunity to realise India’s global ambitions.

If so, what does Trump’s month-long presidency tell us about his potential impact on international politics? This........

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