Unpredictable time ahead

The return of Donald Trump as the President of the United States poses challenges to the entire world including India. He is a very unpredictable person and the world is waiting to see how he operates when he returns to the white house after a gap of 4 years. President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shares personal bonding and India will hope to benefit from it. The assessment that India will face no problems with the 47th US President is rooted in the close relationship shared between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump and the actions taken by the US leader during his previous tenure. However, there will be concerns over trade tariff issues between the two natural allies when the Republican leader takes over the reins of power on January 20, 2025. Also on issues like climate change, Trump will pose a challenge for India.

Trump, who often called climate change a hoax, has made known his plans to once again withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement at the start of his second presidency while his advisers are also talking about withdrawing from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ratified by the US Senate way back in 1992.  This will have repercussions for countries like India which are facing the brunt of climate change. Further, the possibility of Trump’s increasing rhetoric against China and the bitter trade war between the two countries has the potential to impact Indo-China relations which are already fragile. India will have to tread carefully while dealing with President Trump.