When tariffs as high as 25 per cent can have far-reaching negative impacts on India’s economy, it is just about anyone’s guess how patient New Delhi can be, said a security expert. He also called US President Donald Trump unpredictable and said things could get better in the days ahead.
National security and Indo-Pacific analyst Derek J Grossman, in an interview to India Today TV, said New Delhi has been sort of patient so far and has made attempts to understand US’ actions. “Although, it is pretty surprising what happened on July 30. I don’t know how much more patient India can be, especially with 25 per cent tariffs, which is going to have dramatic and negative impacts on India’s economy,” he said.
“What does it say about the relationship, to have a 25 per cent tariff against one of your key partners in the Indo-Pacific, a fellow democratic country, which is soon to be the world’s third largest economy? I mean that that doesn’t send a good message at all,” he said.
Grossman said, “I kind of wonder how the Trump administration is now thinking about having India play a role in the Indo-Pacific strategy to counter China because that seems like it’s really going by the wayside.” He added that the comments coming from Trump after the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor was not what India wanted to hear.
“I mean, this notion that the US brokered the ceasefire with Pakistan, for example, and then of course, you know, later meeting with the Pakistani Field Marshal (Asim Munir) at the White House. The cracks are kind of widening in the India-US strategic partnership and I really hope it does not continue because it’s going to disrupt an otherwise historically strong and very cooperative and mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries,” said the expert.
Grossman said that Trump was evidently frustrated with the trade talks, and he took aim at India to stop them from importing discounted barrels of Russian oil. “Because the President has clearly been frustrated in dealing with Vladimir Putin,” he said. “I think this was a clear shot across the bow that India’s position of trying to have its cake and eat it too is simply not going to work. The relationship with the US will not be as pleasant if India continues to import those barrels of oil from Russia.”
“Trump is relatively unpredictable. He’s transactional. So I mean tomorrow could bring a much better day and the days to come could be much better for the US India partnership,” he said.
