English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest world news

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

Published

on

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Trump has reached out to Modi, and the chemistry seems to be crackling between the two leaders, but for the Indian PM, nurturing the new friendship will prove to be a balancing act

By Sujit Bhar

Donald J Trump is not just the 45th President of the United States; he is a billionaire in his own right, a reality TV host and a successful one at that, and he has a family of ardent followers who believe a severely protectionist America would actually be a good thing.

What Trump probably lacks is a set of “friends” across the world. International geopolitics isn’t a reality television show, though often it looks like one. It is a hard world of deals and more deals, each defining a nation’s apparent effort at positioning itself on the world’s stage.  Friends need to back each other up – it is a Bigg Boss thing that Trump should understand – and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi fits firmly in that slot.

So when Trump called Modi ahead of calling Moscow or Beijing or Tokyo, read less of summit politics into it. It’s about a greenhorn president, one who has suddenly become the most powerful politician of the world, seeking an early friend who he can be officially comfortable with. And that friend should also be non-controversial. That’s it.

The problem is whether Modi would be as comfortable with Trump as he was with Barack Obama. Modi has to bring up the China-Pakistan issue, which is a favourite with Trump, but he also has to bring up the H1B visa issue, which, for Trump is anathema. The game of balancing policies will have to start all over again.

Modi has said that he has invited Trump to India – the Trump name has already landed, with a huge luxury real estate project coming up in Mumbai – (and vice-versa) and while British Prime Minister Theresa May will be the first top international leader to visit Washington (she has been berated by the UK media for this move), whether Modi’s future visit to the US swill be as spectacular as before will have to be seen.

Trump has made the right noises for India to feel comfortable in a growing relationship. And when Modi was among the first leaders to phone Trump and congratulate him on his victory, it was probably a move towards strengthening this relationship. It was a hint that India had taken from Trump’s campaign talk, in which he had said: “Under the Trump administration, we are going to become even better friends, in fact I would take the term better out and we would be best friends.”

Trump had said: “I love India, I love Hindu.”

Not that this had anything to do with the ruling party’s Hinduvta drive; if anything it was a generic term that Trump possibly used somewhat unknowingly. That is one part of the new president that Modi has to be careful in assessing.

The big issue is not just a friendship for friendship’s sake. What can India get out of this friendship? There could be more defence deals, and there could yet be a shadow on the Dassault Rafale deal. And if the Trump-Putin friendship holds, India’s joint venture with Russia in developing fifth generation stealth fighter project – known in India as the Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF) – could also go ahead smoothly.

The small problem is that Trump has remained as unpredictable in office as he was on campaign. International relations are bound and sealed with the understanding of a level of maturity and stability in dealings. Whether Modi and Trump would be able to reach a proper understanding in the wake of Trump’s strong protectionist attitude, is a delicate matter.

These, therefore, are early times, and early signs might not really be indicative of what the future holds. There is need for caution in dealing with Trump. A huge number of Indian technocrats would be looking forward to it. So would top Indian IT companies, who are already in a hire-local drive in the US.

The bigger bounty would be if Trump actually manages to put hurdles in front of China’s access to the US market. Why he said yes to a complicated deal with Alibaba chief Jack Ma remains an issue mired in complication. That Chinese connection was virtually sealed with “smart” comments from both. And that was even before Trump had taken oath.

If US-China trade relations do hit a roadblock, India must be prepared to take advantage of that. The only problems are India’s woeful infrastructure and absurd red tape.

There will have to be new tweaks in place for India to address a person like Trump; Modi’s personal equation notwithstanding. That will be a tough ‘mitroon’ to handle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Latest world news

India envoy Dinesh Trivedi meets PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman 

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met PM Modi after talks with Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman amid diplomatic tensions.

Published

on

India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh Dinesh Trivedi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday, a day after his meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.

According to the High Commission of India in Bangladesh, Trivedi sought PM Modi’s guidance on further strengthening the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh through a constructive and people-centric approach.

The meeting came a day after Trivedi held discussions with Tarique Rahman on matters of mutual interest and ways to advance ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Dinesh Trivedi Meets Bangladesh PM

During his meeting with Tarique Rahman on Monday, Trivedi conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Modi and reiterated India’s commitment to working with the Bangladeshi administration and its people in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner.

The two sides discussed issues of mutual interest and explored avenues for strengthening India-Bangladesh relations with a people-centric approach.

The engagement took place at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Trivedi also shared his experience of serving in Dhaka over the previous two months.

Sheikh Hasina Extradition Request

The meeting assumed significance as Bangladesh has expressed hope that India will expedite the extradition process involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted following a student-led uprising in 2024.

According to a statement issued by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office, Dhaka also reiterated its request for India to return individuals it alleges were involved in the killing of Shahid Osman Hadi, a prominent figure associated with the July uprising who was shot on December 12, 2025.

Tarique Rahman stressed the need to create a suitable environment to take forward relations between Bangladesh and India.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir and other officials attended the meeting.

India-Bangladesh Ties Amid Diplomatic Friction

The latest high-level engagements come amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries following a virtual press interaction by Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on August 5.

The event, organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia to mark the second anniversary of her ouster, prompted strong objections from Dhaka.

During the interaction, Hasina said she remained determined to return to Bangladesh in December and restore democracy, while acknowledging the possibility of imprisonment or a death sentence upon her return.

Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently registered a strong protest and said the development had affected public sentiment and complicated efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

India has said the government had no involvement in the event. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it was organised by a private media entity and clarified that New Delhi did not endorse views expressed at the forum.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

Trump, PM Modi will resolve tariff issue over Russian oil trade, says US official

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue over US tariff threats linked to India’s Russian oil trade.

Published

on

Modi trump

US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will resolve the issue surrounding the threat of US tariffs linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil, White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said on Tuesday.

Navarro’s remarks came days after the US Senate passed a bill authorising the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil. The measure argues that such purchases directly contribute to financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Navarro comments on India’s Russian oil trade

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Navarro said India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia before the Ukraine war began in 2022.

He alleged that India became heavily involved in the trade after Russia’s invasion and sold refined products on behalf of Russia, which he said helped support the Russian war effort.

“Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was not involved in the oil trade with Russia, but afterwards it got heavily involved,” Navarro said.

The White House adviser also claimed that the issue had since been resolved and attributed some of the shift in India’s Russian oil trade to an opinion article he recently wrote in the Financial Times.

Trump and Modi will resolve issue, Navarro says

Navarro said the relationship between Trump and Modi would help address the tariff-related issue.

“The president and your prime minister have a very good working relationship. They are going to work that out amongst themselves,” he said, adding that it was not his place to intervene.

His comments come amid US concerns over countries purchasing Russian oil and proposed measures aimed at imposing additional tariffs on major buyers.

Continue Reading

Latest world news

US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

The US Senate has passed a Russia sanctions bill that could allow 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

Published

on

Donald Trump

The US Senate has approved a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that could allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including India and China.

The legislation was passed by an 86-11 vote and will now move to the US House of Representatives, which is scheduled to reconvene on August 31.

The bill is named in honour of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a strong supporter of Ukraine who died on July 11. Graham had pushed for tougher sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

India and China among major Russian energy buyers

The legislation gives the US president the power to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas.

India and China are among those countries, along with Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.

The bill also contains an exception for countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and taking steps to reduce their dependence on Russian supplies.

What does the Russia sanctions bill contain?

Apart from the proposed tariffs, the legislation includes sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Russian political and military officials, financial institutions and energy projects.

The bill would also expand US sanctions to older and reflagged oil tankers allegedly used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

At the same time, the White House would have the option to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that doing so is in the national interest.

Bill also extends Iran sanctions law

The legislation also contains a provision related to Iran. It would extend the expiration date of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031.

The law penalises companies that invest in Iran’s energy sector.

The bill’s passage in the Senate marks the next step in the US legislative process, but it still needs approval from the House of Representatives before it can move forward.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com