On Oct. 31, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced a groundbreaking defense deal between the United States and India. This deal focuses on “coordination, information sharing and tech cooperation” and will also advance “regional stability and deterrence,” according to Hegseth.
The deal comes amid major tariff negotiations to decrease the currently high rates from President Donald Trump’s global trade war earlier in his second term. U.S. tariffs on India are currently at 50%, which includes a 25% penalty for buying Russian oil. Now, with a defense deal already signed and a trade agreement in the works, the U.S. is moving towards a renewed partnership with India.
Trump commenced his second term with a foreign policy strategy characterized by isolationism, interventionist failure, and antagonism towards countries typically not considered adversaries. From his widespread trade wars, failures to end the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-Palestine genocide, threats to withdraw from NATO, and cuts to foreign aid, Trump shifted America away from its position as an interconnected country that can influence global outcomes.
Although some of his policies simply represented a shift in American economic and military interests and a higher incentive to reform the global economic system, they were carried out in antagonistic ways that lost America’s credibility with a multitude of nations. Trump has brought back this antagonism and may now even be shifting towards a policy of interconnectedness, which is a more traditional stance for America.
To the U.S., a partnership with India represents a strong strategic interest given its large population, economic and military strength, and proximity to China. As the United States’ biggest competitor on the global stage, any opportunity to place a powerful adversary in China’s way is a valuable one. With U.S.-sponsored military improvements in India, China loses some authoritative control in the region. Simultaneously, India improves its security, an important objective for a nation sharing a border with the second most powerful country in the world.
This defense deal, along with a potential trade deal with India, may mark the beginning of a resurgence in American global involvement and success in dealmaking. For this to happen, Trump must build on this momentum as he continues to negotiate and mediate international deals.
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