‘Trump’s foreign policy aggressively transactional…’: Michael Kugelman on India-US ties | HTLS 2025

Senior Fellow for South Asia, Atlantic Council, Michael Kugelman argued that the Trump administration has “singled out” India for especially harsh economic pressure, most notably steep tariffs and threats of secondary sanctions, despite New Delhi’s long record as a close strategic partner. He said these steps have produced the worst crisis in U.S.‑India ties in decades, but also stressed that the relationship is resilient and multi‑layered enough to survive this rough patch.