Trump's Pakistan endorsement undermined US-India defining partnership built over decades: Report

Washington, Aug 14 US President Donald Trump’s approach towards India, coupled with his repeated endorsement of Pakistan, undermined the India-US relations that had been painstakingly built over two decades, a report cited on Thursday.

It also caused a significant damage to what was once considered a “defining partnership of the 21st century.” Trump's actions, the report in International Centre for Peace Studies (ICPS) stated, extended beyond tariffs as he "repeatedly and deliberately" challenged India’s core national security concerns, particularly over Kashmir, striking at its most sensitive areas.

“Previous US administrations — from Bill Clinton’s second term to George W. Bush and Barack Obama — invested heavily in building strategic trust with India. They largely respected India’s red lines on Kashmir and refrained from actions that could embolden Pakistan. In stark contrast, Trump has publicly praised Pakistan, empowered its military leadership, undermined India’s regional standing, and weakened its fight against cross-border terrorism on the global stage, the report mentioned.

The US recently also became a platform for Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir to issue nuclear threats against India, marking a sharp and unprecedented downturn in the Washington-New Delhi ties

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It detailed that the irresponsible and aggressive remarks made on American soil must be taken seriously, particularly the nuclear threat, in which Munir said Pakistan is a nuclear nation ready to “take half the world down with us”. Such alarming statements highlight not only Pakistan’s hostile intent but also the strategic confidence it has drawn from recent US support.

The report highlighted that in the current wave of diplomatic activity, Beijing has adopted a noticeably softer tone towards India which should send a clear warning to Washington.

“The shift in tone has been reinforced by the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s criticism of US tariffs on Indian goods, warning that ‘if you give a bully an inch, he will take a mile’ — a line amplified across state-controlled outlets to portray Trump’s approach to trade as unreasonable and strategically misguided," the report emphasised.

After the imposition of massive tariffs on India by the US, the Chinese state media has gone out of its way to praise India, demonstrating “respect and urgency” in hosting Prime Minister Modi for his upcoming visit.

Beijing’s tone has shifted with the Chinese state run newspaper Global Times highlighting that “as regional powers, China and India have extensive shared interests in areas such as counterterrorism, trade, and cultural exchange,” and stressing that “a healthy China–India relationship brings positive spillover effects to the region and the world.”

According to the ICPS report, the US needs to recognise that weakening India does not enhance Washington’s position; it only empowers its rivals. Every key US strategic document underscores India’s importance in counter-balancing China in the Indo-Pacific.

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