Let us first tell you where the US election campaign is:
We are about two months away from the Republican National Convention. Despite cases against him, Mr. Trump appears to be the candidate
About three months after the Democratic Convention, where Biden, despite concerns about his age and health, is the confirmed candidate
And about six months to go until voting day on November 5, which appears to be a rematch of the 2020 election
What is different at this point in the campaign, however, is that foreign policy issues also dominate the discourse.
1. Israel’s war in Gaza takes center stage – with campus protests against US support for Israel and the government’s response to it becoming the main issue.
-The US’s unconditional support for Israel is of course the basis of US foreign policy and is unlikely to change.
– This includes military transfers during the conflict
– US vetoes any UN Security Council resolution criticizing Israel
The difference between Trump and Biden on this issue is not great, as one of the protesters I spoke with said
2. The war between Russia and Ukraine is the next big issue, with some difference between the two candidates as President Biden just pushed through a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, with Trump saying on many occasions that financial support from the US would come on conditions and that he would end the war as quickly as possible, and has praised the Russian president in the past.
3. Immigration is the third issue, which was also an issue in 2020. Both are now quite troublesome and have imposed new restrictions on illegal immigrants, more deportations and fewer visas. But Trump will likely be louder and perhaps bring back some version of the immigrant ban, the Muslim ban and the wall with Mexico that Biden dismantled. And Mr. Biden even favored India when it came to taking in immigrants
In short, this is how the situation in the US is affecting India:
The government has often objected when Western countries criticize the crackdown on protesters in India. So while the MEA took the opportunity to dig into the US action against the student protesters, it also made it clear that Indian students would not be allowed to participate in the protest.
1. In any democracy there must be the right balance between freedom of expression, sense of responsibility and public safety and order. Democracies in particular should demonstrate this understanding towards other fellow democracies. After all, we are all judged by what we do at home and not by what we say abroad. And regarding your question about Indian students: we are always in contact with Indian students. And if there are any issues that need to be resolved, we will look into them.
More generally, India’s position on Israel is closer to the US than in the past when it comes to the October 7 terrorist attacks, but India has criticized the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, voted for a ceasefire and also spoke out for the need for a lasting two-state resolution for the Palestinians
2. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has taken a markedly different position from the US – while the Biden administration has accepted India’s continued ties with Russia and oil imports, it remains to be seen what an administration -Trump would accept… remember in In 2018, India accepted Trump’s deadline to cut oil imports from Iran and Venezuela to zero
3. On immigration, India may face more pushback from the US. Indians make up an estimated 725,000 illegal immigrants in the US, the third largest group, and a number that is increasing. If the US starts deporting them, it would lead to further unemployment in the country.
WV Take:
The US’s unilateral support for Israel during the bombing of civilians and the crackdown on students has damaged the country’s credibility in its demands for responsibility for Russia and for democratic freedoms in other countries. However, since this policy is bipartisan and the outcome of the US election is unlikely to depend on foreign policy, the results may depend more on the turnout of Biden and Trump voters later this year than on their positions per se.
Script and presentation: Suhasini Haidar
Production: Gayatri Menon and Shibu Narayan
