Despite his repeated declarations of non-interventionism, former U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a willingness to wade into an issue that India has long considered strictly off-limits:
Jammu and Kashmir. His remarks have raised serious concerns among Indian strategists, who view them as a challenge to India’s sovereignty and a reversal of long-standing bipartisan U.S. foreign policy.
Trump’s overtures in South and West Asia — including outreach to Islamist factions and offers of mediation between India and Pakistan — have created unease in New Delhi.
What was once seen as a potential partnership built on a shared stance against terrorism now appears to be shifting in unpredictable and troubling ways.
Kashmir Mediation: A Red Line Crossed
India has long rejected third-party involvement in the Kashmir issue, treating it as an internal matter. While past U.S. presidents have maintained backchannel communication with both India and Pakistan during periods of tension, they have been careful not to publicly take center stage.
Trump’s recent comments, however, are seen as crossing a diplomatic red line. By suggesting mediation and speaking of India and Pakistan in the same breath, Trump has reignited fears of a return to the outdated Cold War-era “hyphenation” of the two countries.
This rhetorical pairing, once abandoned by successive U.S. administrations, is viewed as a concession to Pakistani lobbying and pressure from China, Pakistan’s strategic partner.
Trump’s flattering language about Pakistan — calling its people “brilliant” and praising its products — contrasted sharply with the recent killing of 26 civilians in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam by Pakistan-based militants. Such remarks have deeply angered Indian policymakers.
Moreover, Trump equated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Pakistan’s Shehbaz Sharif, commending both leaders for their “wisdom” and “statesmanship.”
This equivalence is seen as deeply problematic in New Delhi, where Modi is viewed as the democratically elected head of the world’s largest democracy, while Sharif is perceived as a figure installed through a controversial election influenced by Pakistan’s military-intelligence apparatus.
Trump’s Islamist Engagements Add to Concerns
Trump’s diplomatic engagement with figures and factions traditionally classified as extremists has only compounded Indian apprehensions.
During his recent visit to West Asia, he met Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization with a $10 million bounty on his head until recently.
Just weeks before the meeting, groups loyal to al-Sharaa had reportedly massacred over 1,000 Shia Alawites in western Syria, in what observers described as sectarian revenge killings following the ouster of Alawite Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump’s decision to lift all U.S. sanctions on Syria following the meeting is being viewed as legitimizing a regime born from violent extremism.
This normalization is not an isolated move. Trump also reached agreements with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen and initiated direct engagement with Hamas, both designated terrorist groups by the U.S. and long shunned by prior administrations.
His backchannel deal with Hamas led to the release of the last known American hostage, breaking with decades of American policy that rejected direct talks with such groups.
Critics argue that these developments not only undermine Israel’s strategic position in West Asia but also embolden groups that view India as a hostile target.
A counter-terrorism expert advising the Indian government noted, “Virtually all these groups — from HTS to Hamas to the Houthis — share a common enemy list: Israel and India. Trump’s normalization of their actions creates a ripple effect that directly endangers Indian interests.”
Strategic Realignment Leaves India on Edge
Trump’s transactional diplomacy — favoring deals over principles — is increasingly perceived as ignoring traditional alliances in favor of short-term tactical gains.
For India, this has translated into a jarring shift: from expecting a like-minded ally in Washington on terrorism and regional stability to now watching that same ally embrace actors hostile to Indian security concerns.
With Trump’s recent actions in both South and West Asia, Indian strategists fear that Washington is now not only diminishing New Delhi’s regional standing but actively undercutting it through political equivalence with Pakistan and normalization of jihadist factions.
As one expert summarized: “In sidelining Israel and antagonizing India, the Trump administration is realigning U.S. priorities in ways that could have long-term strategic consequences.”
