Donald Trump: In a world that is changing quickly, recent words by Russian President Vladimir Putin have sparked arguments about the United States’ place in the world. Putin harshly criticised President Donald Trump’s tax plans at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China. He warned that the US cannot force countries like India and China to give up their rights.
A Lesson in Respect for Everyone: Putin’s Take
Putin was very clear when he said, “You can’t talk to India or China that way.” Trying to get rid of their leaders was a “mistake,” he said, stressing that the “colonial era is over.” This was in reaction to Trump’s decision to put 50% tariffs on Indian goods. He did this to put pressure on New Delhi to stop buying cheap Russian oil and become more like the US in its fight against China and Russia. Analysts say that Putin’s speech, which he gave while shaking hands with both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, shows that people are becoming more against the US being selfish.
Trump’s tariff strategies are not working with the US plan
Trump’s tariff policy, which was meant to protect American businesses and strengthen geopolitical alliances, seems to be having effects that were not planned. Trump has hurt relationships that were carefully built by government leaders from George W. Bush onwards by going after India, a key partner in the US-led Quad effort against China. Sources say that Washington is angry that trade deals with India have been held up, which is made worse by Modi’s decision to stay neutral in the Ukraine war and keep energy ties with Russia.
How the US is becoming alone in a world with many powers
The bigger effects suggest that the US might be left alone. At the SCO, Modi was seen shaking hands with Putin, which was very different from how he was with Trump before. Visual diplomacy shows India’s “strategic autonomy,” which means they are hedging their bets away from the US in the face of threats of tariffs that could reach 100% if India doesn’t obey. As India strengthens its energy and defence ties with Russia and looks into trade deals with China, experts say that these kinds of moves could break up the Quad and the Indo-Pacific strategy.
The way forward: negotiation over force
Donald Trump’s “schooling” by Putin should wake the US up and make changes to its foreign policy. In a multipolar order, the US could be pushed to the sidelines as BRICS countries speed up their attempts to move away from the dollar and propose alternatives like an SCO development bank. Tariffs may help in the short run, but they turn off potential allies and create a way for countries to escape US influence.
