New Delhi: Amid all the hype and heavy-duty analysis on US elections, the three key takeaways from Donald Trump’s win in the US is who will be happy and who will not.
One of the three capitals that will be the most unhappy with this result—since they had positioned themselves expecting a Harris win and will be concerned—is Kyiv as Volodymyr Zelenskyy has waged a tough war against Russia, hoping for continued and growing American and European support.
In Tehran, Iran’s leadership has been strategic in using proxies, like Hezbollah, Hamas and others across the Middle East, hoping to leverage these groups to negotiate with the US over its nuclear program. Under Trump though, this diplomatic avenue disappears.
In Dhaka, the current administration, which lacks formal democratic legitimacy, was getting friendly treatment from the Biden government. However, Trump’s rhetoric and actions in the past have shown impatience with such governments and his lack of sympathy for the current regime will only deepen Bangladesh’s concerns.
On the other side: the three capitals likely to be the happiest with Trump’s win.
Moscow stands to gain the most, if Trump fulfills his promises. If the war in Ukraine ends in a standstill with lifted sanctions, Vladimir Putin can declare victory, stabilise the Russian economy and rebuild his military, which was showing signs of strain.
Jerusalem, under Benjamin Netanyahu, will be pleased by Trump’s return and New Delhi will also be happy with Trump’s victory. Under Biden, India faced occasional criticism on human rights issues and was subject to pressure on several fronts, including defence and trade relations.
Some might ask about Beijing, but the Chinese government is not likely to be as concerned by Trump’s return. Even under Trump, the trade war with China persisted and Biden did not reverse many of Trump’s policies.
In Ep 1549 of #CutTheClutter, ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta discusses what a definitive Trump victory means for global politics amid two wars & geopolitical upheavals, focusing on the India-US relationship going ahead, within a turbulent South Asia.
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