By Anita Inder Singh

The stunning electoral triumph of an uncompromising, hard-hitting, domestically and internationally polarising Donald Trump in the American presidential election has caused global discomfort. America’s European friends fear that he may leave Ukraine and the rest of their continent open to Russia’s aggressive nationalism and impose high tariffs on their exports. China doesn’t want another Trumpian trade war. America’s Asian allies may need to dole out more cash in return for continued help to secure the Indo-Pacific against a territorially expansionist China.

Significantly, both Russia and a war-weary Ukraine anticipate that Trump might end their war sooner rather than later to the disadvantage of the other. Any softening of American and Western sanctions on Russia would be welcomed by Delhi which has dramatically increased trade linkages with Russia since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. India is not nervous about a second Trump administration, given the cordial ties between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But personal bonhomie will not suffice to strengthen Indo-US ties, given the transactionalism of both leaders and Trump’s insistence on “America First”.

Trump will undoubtedly exert pressure on India to lower what he has condemned as India’s excessive tariffs: let’s recall that it was Trump 1.0 that ended preferential trade status for India. At that time, Trump also voiced disapproval of India’s decision to buy Russia’s S-400 missile, declared that prosperous states made the best allies, and that economically rising Vietnam and the Association of........

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