India is reeling from the wrath of its “mercurial” ally after President Donald Trump delivered a stunningly hostile speech at the UN General Assembly. The address, which attacked India’s foreign policy and historical narrative, perfectly illustrated the unpredictable and often damaging nature of his leadership that observers have long warned about.
The term “mercurial,” used by Indian opposition leader Shashi Tharoor, aptly describes the President’s swing from calling Prime Minister Modi a “good friend” to publicly accusing his country of funding a war. This volatility makes it nearly impossible for India to build a stable, long-term policy based on its relationship with the US.
The first blow was the accusation that India is a “primary funder” of the Ukraine conflict. This severe charge, coming after a period of relative calm, was a shocking escalation that immediately put the relationship on crisis footing. It was backed by the real-world threat of more tariffs on top of the 50% already imposed.
The second blow was the revival of the disputed ‘Operation Sindoor’ claim, where Trump presented himself as the peacemaker who “stopped a war” between India and Pakistan. This self-serving narrative, delivered on the world stage, was a direct slight to India’s sovereignty and diplomatic pride.
The speech has left Indian policymakers to grapple with the fallout. While Tharoor holds out hope that Trump’s unpredictability could one day swing in a positive direction, the current reality is one of managing a crisis instigated by the volatile whims of an ally’s leader.