Source: The American Conservative
by Ted Snider
“The U.S. has long sought to parlay India’s animosity toward China into a wedge between India and the multipolar Global South. But three recent tactics of the Trump administration have undermined that strategy. Perhaps the most consequential was the punishing tariffs the U.S. imposed on India. Starting at 25 percent as punishment for unfair trade practices, they ballooned to 50 percent after India refused to bend on the issue of Russian oil — a level that China, the largest purchaser of Russian oil, has been spared. An earlier misstep was the embarrassing attempt by the Trump administration to take credit for a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. … Another sticking point is Washington’s improving relations with India’s rival Pakistan and the plausible suspicions that the current Pakistani government came to power with U.S. assistance.” (09/05/25)