US Presidential Election: As Americans await the results with bated breath, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar remarked on Wednesday that Washington is likely to adopt a more isolationist stance, regardless of who wins the presidency.
Speaking at an event in Canberra while votes were still being cast, Jaishankar noted that the election is unlikely to change what he described as a long-term shift in US policy. He also expressed confidence on Tuesday that India’s relationship with the US will continue to strengthen in the future.
Citing the US’s reluctance to deploy troops and its withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden, Jaishankar remarked, “Since the time of President Barack Obama, the US has grown more cautious about its global commitments.” He added that “President Trump was perhaps more vocal and explicit about this stance,” speaking during a panel discussion with the Foreign Ministers of Australia and New Zealand.
He further emphasized, “It’s crucial to view the US more in national terms rather than solely through the lens of the current administration’s ideology.” “If we’re genuinely analyzing the situation, we must prepare for a world where the type of dominance and generosity the US exhibited in its early years may no longer persist,” the EAM added.
All three foreign ministers agreed that their countries must take an active role in shaping the global environment they desire. “We all have a stake in creating a collaborative, consensual framework,” EAM Jaishankar remarked.
New Zealand’s Winston Peters noted, “There is more protectionism now. The world we once aimed to build is shifting, and we will need to adapt and evolve with it.”
On Tuesday, during a joint press conference with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong at Parliament House in Canberra, EAM Jaishankar praised former US President Donald Trump for revitalizing the QUAD alliance in 2017, a key milestone in Indo-Pacific cooperation.
In response to a question about the future of India-US relations after the elections, EAM Jaishankar said, “We have seen steady progress in our relationship with the US over the past five presidencies, including the Trump administration.” He added, “As we look at the American election, we are confident that, regardless of the outcome, our relationship with the US will continue to strengthen.”
