The foreign policy establishment can justifiably feel upbeat with the results of the Modi-Trump meeting, which have been most gratifying especially given the uncertainties in the run-up to the visit.
No new initiative likely on strategic cooperation front, and complaints on H1B visa issue unlikely to fall on receptive ears since available data does not support the current Indian urban myth.
The main objective would be for Modi and Trump to come on the same page on key issues such as terrorism, UN reforms, South China Sea and the future of climate change.
President Trump’s victory and his subsequent actions after assuming the presidency seem to indicate the US withdrawal from a leadership role towards a degree of insulation from world affairs.
What to make of the combination of Trump’s missile strikes in Syria, changes of mind about China and Russia, warnings to North Korea, signals about scaling up military presence in Afghanistan, and outreach to Turkey?
The reaction to President Trump’s utterances and avowed policies on the Mexican border wall and tariff has attracted strong criticism. It is surprising that Trump, who is known to view developments and decide on policies in transactional terms, appears short-sighted and unwilling to view the implications of his policies in a long-term perspective.
If the history of the world is the world’s court of justice, history will rate Obama, the 44th President of the United States, among the top ten of the holders of that high office.
None of the candidates from either major party has articulated a clear and unconditionally supportive long-term view in favour of the Palestinian cause.
India-US Relations: On the Upward Trajectory
The foreign policy establishment can justifiably feel upbeat with the results of the Modi-Trump meeting, which have been most gratifying especially given the uncertainties in the run-up to the visit.