‘India a critical partner,’ says Trump admin in new national security strategy document
File photo of Indian and US flags adorning the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House in Washington, DC Photograph: (AFP)
In the National Security Strategy, the Trump administration says that the US must continue to improve commercial (and other) relations with India to encourage New Delhi to contribute to Indo-Pacific security, including through continued quadrilateral cooperation with the Quad.
The Trump administration has mentioned India as a “critical partner” and said Washington intends to deepen cooperation with New Delhi. The Trump administration has released the 33-page document on the National Security Strategy of the United States of America November 2025. The Trump administration has mentioned India thrice in the document. It says the Trump administration believes that the US must work with its treaty allies and partners, who its says, “together add another $35 trillion in economic power to our own $30 trillion national economy (together constituting more than half the world economy) to counteract predatory economic practices and use our combined economic power to help safeguard our prime position in the world economy and ensure that allied economies do not become subordinate to any competing power.”
‘We must continue to improve relations with India’
It then mentions India, saying, “We must continue to improve commercial (and other) relations with India to encourage New Delhi to contribute to Indo-Pacific security, including through continued quadrilateral cooperation with Australia, Japan, and the United States (“the Quad”). Moreover, we will also work to align the actions of our allies and partners with our joint interest in preventing domination by any single competitor nation.”
Referring to President Trump’s May 2025 state visits to Persian Gulf countries, the document says, “America should similarly enlist our European and Asian allies and partners, including India, to cement and improve our joint positions in the Western Hemisphere and, with regard to critical minerals, in Africa.”
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‘US would need strong cooperation with India and other nations’
The National Security Strategy document further says the US would need “strong cooperation” with India and other nations on the issue of South China Sea control. It says the situation could lead to a potentially hostile power imposing a toll system over one of the world’s most vital lanes of commerce or impose entry restrictions, either of which would be harmful to the US economy and interests.
“Strong measures must be developed along with the deterrence necessary to keep those lanes open, free of “tolls,” and not subject to arbitrary closure by one country. This will require not just further investment in our military—especially naval—capabilities, but also strong cooperation with every nation that stands to suffer, from India to Japan and beyond, if this problem is not addressed.”
The document makes just one mention of Pakistan, and that too while mentioning that Trump negotiated peace between several countries, including India and Pakistan.
