ARTICLE AD BOX
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As overmuch of the Western satellite recoils from Donald Trump’s instrumentality to the White House, India’s absorption looks strikingly different. The Munich Security Report 2026 presents Indian nationalist sentiment connected US President Donald Trump arsenic chiseled from that of astir Western democracies, marked by comparatively higher support of his policies, rising interest astir US economical coercion, and declining content successful the necessity of US planetary leadership.Around 38% of Indian respondents agreed that Trump’s policies were bully for India, and astir 36% agreed they were bully for the world. These levels of statement are importantly higher than successful Canada, France, Germany, and Japan, wherever statement typically remains successful the debased teens
What the study says
According to the MSI, India ranks among the much favorable countries erstwhile respondents were asked whether “Donald Trump’s policies are bully for my country” and “good for the world.”The study noted that Indian respondents were little captious of Trump than Western nationalist and much apt to explicit conditional oregon partial support of his approach, adjacent erstwhile uncertainty remains astir its planetary impact.While Indian views of Trump’s geopolitical interaction were comparatively little negative, the study recorded greater interest regarding his economical policies. Trump medication imposed 50% tariffs connected India.
With the caller India-US commercialized deal, the further 25% tariffs was brought down to 18%.The study stated that the US hazard people for India accrued by 18 points betwixt 2024 and 2025, the largest summation recorded among each risks successful the Indian profile. Despite this rise, the US did not fertile among India’s apical perceived threats; China remained a higher concern, portion Russia was viewed arsenic comparatively debased risk.The findings are based connected the Munich Security Index (MSI), which surveys nationalist attitudes crossed G7 and large Global South countries.
Era of 'wrecking-ball politics'
The study framed Trump arsenic a cardinal fig successful what it called an epoch of “wrecking-ball politics,” characterized by challenges to multilateral institutions and the post-1945 wide order. In the Indian case, the study highlighted long-standing skepticism toward the Western “rules-based order,” which policymakers person criticized for selective exertion and treble standards.The study cited outer affairs curate S Jaishankar’s appraisal that the existing bid has often appeared “anarchic and permeated by treble standards” from a Global South perspective. Within this context, the study suggested that Trump’s situation to established institutions was not uniformly perceived arsenic antagonistic successful India.
