Is Trump’s Tariff War Compromising US Geostrategic Interests Over Trade Feuds?

New York, Sept 5 (NationPress) As US President Donald Trump embarks on a contentious path regarding a Nobel nomination alongside his trade advisors, Washington's defense and diplomatic sectors are engaged in a defensive effort to protect the nation’s geostrategic interests, with India playing a pivotal role.

While Trump criticized India on Tuesday, Indian and US military forces were conducting Exercise Yudh Abhyas in the Alaskan tundra, a collaboration that has flourished over the past 21 years.

Just a week prior, the USS Frank Cable docked in Chennai to collaborate with submarine INS Sindhuvijay on submarine repair techniques.

Last month, Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary Andrew Byers visited India to engage with Joint Secretary Dinesh Kumar, who is responsible for maritime and defense acquisitions, likely laying the foundation for India’s procurement of US defense equipment, which could alleviate Trump’s fixation on the goods trade deficit.

Meanwhile, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from a meeting with Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China, the US Embassy in New Delhi launched a public relations initiative.

They proclaimed on X, “The partnership between the United States and India continues to reach new heights -- a defining relationship of the 21st century”.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported this sentiment, stating on India’s Independence Day, “Our two countries are united by our shared vision for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region”.

The Indo-Pacific, where China poses a significant threat to both the US and global stability, is a crucial factor behind the geostrategic interests uniting these democracies in their “consequential and far-reaching” partnership to confront modern challenges.

Senior defense and foreign relations officials from India and the US convened for their mid-year meeting, where they reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing the bilateral relationship.

They concentrated on “advanced bilateral initiatives”, regional security issues, and shared strategic priorities.

The US Embassy’s post added, “This month, we’re spotlighting the people, progress, and possibilities driving us forward. From innovation and entrepreneurship to defense and bilateral ties, it’s the enduring friendship between our two peoples that fuels this journey”.

Following this, US diplomatic representatives in India have been actively promoting the spectrum of cooperation between the two nations, covering areas such as crime-fighting, defense, space, and startups.

Trump appears caught in a conflict, stating, “We get along with India very well” before launching into his usual criticisms of India’s high tariffs and the US’s “foolishly” not imposing duties.

On Wednesday, in an unguarded moment, he revealed his rationale for the punitive 25 percent tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil: to deflect accusations of being lenient on Russia and to suggest he was punishing Moscow by targeting India.

When confronted by a Polish reporter about his approach to Russia, he retorted, “How do you know there's no action? Would you say that putting secondary sanctions on India, the largest purchaser outside of China, would you say there was no action? That cost hundreds of billions of dollars to Russia”.

Despite acknowledging that China is the “largest purchaser”, he avoids punitive tariffs on Beijing due to US reliance on China for rare earth materials and other essential goods. Any disruption to this supply chain could lead to severe inflation, which would negatively impact him.

Add to that his need for a cooperative relationship with Putin in hopes of resolving the Ukraine War—something on which he has staked his reputation—leaving him unable to impose harsh measures on Russia.

The recent deadline of August 21 for negotiating a peace deal has passed without action.

This situation makes India a convenient target to create the illusion of being tough on Putin.

Trump’s senior trade advisor, Peter Navarro, has set the stage for this narrative against India as a means to distract from Trump’s leniency towards Russia and China.

Now, it has become a tug-of-war between the realists focused on geostrategy and the trade and ego-driven narratives, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seeming to favor the realists.

“I do think India’s the world's largest democracy [and] the US is the world's largest economy. I think at the end of the day we will come together”, he stated on the same day as Navarro’s remarks.