During his visit to Washington last week to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed firsthand how Trump was shaping his own version of multi-alignment. Unlike previous U.S. leaders who focused on maintaining strong commitments to traditional allies in Europe, Trump was taking a different approach.

He was trying to weaken U.S. obligations to Europe, improve relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and openly engage with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This marked a major shift from the long-standing global system where the United States, along with its Western allies, upheld international rules and order. Instead, Trump was moving toward a more flexible and unpredictable strategy, reshaping America's role in global politics.

Trump's "America First" approach focuses on making one-on-one agreements with other countries to protect U.S. interests. If he succeeds, this strategy of flexible partnerships could become common among major world powers, replacing traditional alliances in global politics.

By strengthening India's ties with the United States more than ever before, Prime Minister Narendra Modi moved away from a key, though unspoken, rule of India’s long-standing nonalignment policy—maintaining political distance from the U.S. on international and regional matters.

At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued India's long-standing partnership with Russia while also keeping diplomatic talks open with China. This was challenging because of ongoing border tensions and India's growing trade imbalance with China, but Modi aimed to balance relations with both countries while pursuing India's strategic interests.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India shifted away from its long-standing lack of focus on Europe and actively strengthened ties with major countries like France, Germany, and Italy, as well as the European Union in Brussels. There’s no denying the U.S. plays a key role in India’s multi-alignment strategy. Strategic leaders in New Delhi recognize that partnering with Washington is crucial to boosting India’s economic, technological, and military growth.

At the same time, they recognize that India must have the freedom to make its own decisions and not be overly dependent on any single major power. This is important because global interests and alliances shift over time, and tying India too closely to one country could limit its ability to act in its own best interests when circumstances change.

With Trump openly questioning the importance of alliances and criticizing some of America's long-time partners, India’s cautious approach seems like a smart move. By not relying too much on any single country, India ensures that it can adapt to changing global politics and protect its own interests, no matter who is in power in the U.S.

Seeing the political and global shifts happening in Washington, New Delhi moved quickly to arrange an early meeting between Modi and Trump. The goal was to strengthen ties with the U.S. and ensure that India’s most important international relationship remained stable despite the changing political landscape. Understanding that illegal immigration and tariffs were key concerns for the new U.S. government, the Modi administration acted quickly to address both issues.

The Indian government agreed to send back undocumented migrants from the U.S. and sped up talks for a trade agreement. Earlier, in February, India had already decided to lower some tariffs, including those on cars and luxury motorcycles, which would benefit American manufacturers. These steps were taken to strengthen trade ties with the U.S. and address issues important to Washington.

India is also looking into buying more energy from the U.S., including oil, natural gas, and civilian nuclear reactors, to strengthen its energy supply and trade relations with Washington. Trump wants India to purchase more American weapons, so Modi agreed to finalize some ongoing defense deals. In return, Trump promised to reconsider existing restrictions on defense cooperation and exports to India.

Apart from defense, the two leaders agreed to strengthen collaboration on advanced and emerging technologies, continuing the progress made under the Biden administration. Since there have been differences between commitments and actual results in the past, both countries want to ensure real progress before Trump visits New Delhi later this year for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue summit. The goal is to show tangible achievements in their agreements rather than just making promises.

Many in India worried that Trump might say something that could embarrass Modi in public, but instead, the U.S. president expressed a positive and friendly attitude, showing goodwill toward India. Interestingly, India is not a formal U.S. ally or a country that relies heavily on American support, but instead, it is seen as a strong and independent partner. This seems to give India more flexibility in dealing with Washington compared to some of America’s traditional allies.

One reason could be that Trump tends to respect strong leaders, even if they are rivals, more than he respects the leaders of European and Asian allies. He seems to view those allies as weaker or too dependent on the U.S., while he prefers dealing with leaders who show strength and independence.

India seems to be in a stronger position than many other major countries when it comes to handling the changes Trump is making to the global system and power balance that has existed since 1945. This is because India follows an independent foreign policy, allowing it to adapt more easily to shifting global dynamics.

Take, for example, Trump's strong interest in ending the Russia-Ukraine war and building better ties with Putin. If this happens, India stands to gain a lot, as it maintains good relations with both Russia and the West. It's no surprise, then, that Modi supported Trump's efforts for peace in Ukraine, as it aligns with India's interests.

The Ukraine war has created big economic and geopolitical challenges for India, making it difficult to navigate global trade and diplomacy. Any reduction in the conflict would be a relief, as it would help stabilize energy prices, trade relations, and international politics, benefiting India in the long run.

India will greatly benefit if the U.S. and Russia reach an agreement on Ukraine and if sanctions are eased or removed. This is because such a move could lower oil prices, which is important for India since it heavily depends on imported oil and gas to meet its energy needs. Lower prices would reduce costs for the country and help its economy.

India faced criticism from Western countries for not openly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The situation was further highlighted by India's sharp increase in oil purchases from Moscow since 2022.Resolving the conflict will not only strengthen India's relationship with Western countries but also help create a more balanced Asia, where China currently holds the most influence. India hopes that if the U.S. and Russia reach a long-term agreement on security in Europe, it will reduce tensions between them. This could allow Washington to direct more attention and resources toward maintaining stability in Asia, where growing challenges, especially from China, require greater focus.

Some Republicans argue that the U.S. should shift its focus away from Europe to other global priorities. India also hopes that if Trump returns to power, he can convince Putin to take a more independent approach in Asia instead of closely aligning with China and following Xi Jinping’s lead. This could create a more balanced power dynamic in the region.

India stands to benefit if Europe takes charge of its own security and becomes a strong global player. If European nations reduce their reliance on the U.S. for defense and take more responsibility, it could free up American resources to focus on challenges in Asia. A stronger Europe could also create new opportunities for India in trade, diplomacy, and security partnerships.

India and Europe have the potential to work more closely on security issues in regions they both have interests in. This includes areas from the Mediterranean, through the Middle East, and into the Indian Ocean. Strengthening their cooperation in these regions could help improve stability, enhance trade security, and address common challenges such as terrorism, piracy, and conflicts. By working together, India and Europe can play a bigger role in shaping the future of these important areas.

Since Trump is now in power, India and Europe will need to adjust to the shifts in global politics that come with his leadership. His policies could reshape international alliances and security priorities, affecting how countries cooperate. This will likely be a key topic when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with all 27 EU commissioners, visits New Delhi later this month. The visit aims to revive and strengthen the long-dormant strategic partnership between India and the European Union, enabling both sides to collaborate more effectively on global and regional challenges.

At first glance, India welcomes the idea of the U.S. shifting its focus toward Asia. However, with Trump in power, there are some changes in how the U.S. deals with China. His approach to China is different from previous policies, bringing new challenges and uncertainties in global politics. This could impact India’s strategic interests, making it important to carefully assess how these changes affect regional stability and partnerships.

Trump's willingness to build a friendly relationship with Xi Jinping is creating confusion across Asia. While he talks about working with China, his national security team includes key Republican leaders who take a tough stance against Beijing. This mixed approach makes it unclear how U.S.-China relations will develop, leaving many countries in the region uncertain about what to expect.

In recent weeks, as the U.S. government has engaged with Prime Minister Modi and other leaders from Asia, Washington has taken a tougher stance on the Indo-Pacific region and its approach to China. This shift shows that the U.S. is becoming more firm in its policies, likely aiming to counter China's growing influence and strengthen ties with key partners like India.

At the same time, Trump seems open to making a major deal with Xi Jinping. This raises the question of whether he might try to reach a broad agreement with China in Asia, similar to how he is approaching Russia in Europe. While India is not as directly affected as Japan, South Korea, or especially Taiwan by a major change in U.S. policy on China, such a shift could still bring bigger economic and security challenges for New Delhi. It would require India to carefully navigate its position in the region and strengthen its own strategies to maintain stability.

During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Modi, an Indian reporter tried to get Trump to take a strong stance against China. However, as reported by Foreign Policy, Trump avoided making any harsh comments. Instead, he emphasized his wish to maintain good relations with Xi Jinping. He also mentioned the ongoing border tensions between India and China, saying he was willing to help resolve the issue if India requested his assistance.

Some in New Delhi believe that a peaceful agreement with Beijing is always within reach and that India should continue working toward it. While this approach may be part of a broader strategy of balancing relationships with multiple countries, it is not practical at the moment. The power gap between India and China is too large, giving China a clear advantage. This makes it difficult for India to secure a fair agreement in the current situation.

China might make small changes in its approach to India, but it has no real reason to help solve India’s challenges. The power imbalance between the two countries means that China benefits from keeping things as they are. This situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.

This means India will need to strengthen its relationship with the United States while still maintaining its strategy of balancing ties with multiple countries. Strengthening U.S.-India relations could help India address its strategic challenges and boost its global standing.

India’s response to a possible U.S.-China reconciliation is to deepen its partnership with Washington. The United States is one of the few countries with both the capability and willingness to support India’s overall growth and strength. Modi and Trump have already laid the foundation for this cooperation, providing a framework for India and the U.S. to work more closely together in the future. (IPA Service)