Much of Trump’s address on turning around America’s longest war sounded familiar, not least on the need for Pakistan to crack down on Taliban fighters seeking sanctuary across Afghanistan’s border.
More surprising was Trump’s call on India and how he linked Afghanistan to totally separate US-Indian trade matters.
Trump said the US appreciates India’s important contributions to Afghan stability. But he lamented that India “makes billions of dollars in trade with the United States.”
He said he wants India to provide more economic assistance and development to Afghanistan. Donald Trump is a businessman and he wants India as US regional ally to contribute towards US goals in the region and just don’t enjoy the free lunch.