Trump Softens Tone Towards India After Tariff Moves Fail to Bite, Says Ex-Diplomat

Former Indian diplomat KP Fabian has said that US President Donald Trump appears to be rethinking his hardline approach towards India after his trade tariffs failed to bring the results he expected.

Speaking to ANI, Fabian argued that Trump’s decision to impose steep tariffs — including an additional 25% levy related to India’s oil imports from Russia, pushing the total duty to 50% — did not compel New Delhi to change its policies.

“President Trump is beginning to realise that he was mistaken in assuming India would give in to pressure,” Fabian said. He added that India, as a civilisational state, is open to friendship and trade with all countries but “cannot accept dictation.”

Recently, Trump referred to US-India ties as a “very special relationship,” highlighting his personal rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister responded warmly on social media, noting that he “deeply appreciates and fully reciprocates” the positive sentiment.

Despite this softer tone, Fabian remained cautious, stressing that the tariffs remain in place and a breakthrough trade deal is still not on the horizon. He described the ongoing policy as a “Triple T – Trumped-up Trump Tariff,” which, he said, lacked a solid basis.

Trump himself has acknowledged occasional “moments” of disagreement but insisted that his friendship with Modi remains intact. “I always will… there is nothing to worry about,” he said at a recent White House briefing.

Another former envoy, Jawed Ashraf, also commented on India’s foreign policy direction, suggesting that the country should avoid the mindset of aligning exclusively with any single global power bloc. “We are not a small or weak nation that needs such crutches in external relations,” he said.

For now, tariffs remain at 50%, and talks over a possible trade deal are stalled, with India holding firm on protecting sensitive sectors like agriculture.