Foreign Policy calls Pakistan 'Winner', India 'Loser' under Trump

Pakistan has been declared a “winner” under President Donald Trump’s new foreign policy approach, while India has been labelled a clear “loser”, according to a report published by the American magazine Foreign Policy, which says the balance in Washington has shifted in Islamabad’s favour due to Pakistani military leadership.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, the magazine noted that Pakistan has gained a level of trust and access in Washington that even many US allies have been unable to achieve, marking a strategic comeback for Islamabad during Trump’s second term.

The magazine report said Pakistan pursued result-oriented diplomacy within Trump’s “transactional” framework, helping redraw the diplomatic map of the region. It added that issues such as cryptocurrency, along with cooperation on critical minerals, had also become part of Pakistan-US talks and potential deals.

According to Foreign Policy, President Trump’s growing closeness with Pakistan’s military leadership, particularly Field Marshal Asim Munir, has given new direction to bilateral relations, making Pakistan’s voice in Washington influential once again.

The magazine referred to a high-level engagement in the Oval Office, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, describing the army chief’s role as a key factor in advancing ties between the two countries.

The report said Pakistan’s military leadership had provided a strategic advantage in diplomacy, while Islamabad’s renewed progress in Washington had weakened India’s standing with the United States.

It noted that India’s continued purchase of Russian oil had become a source of displeasure in Washington and contributed to strains in US-India relations, which have fallen to their lowest level in two decades.

Describing Pakistan’s return to Washington as a “quiet but decisive” success, the magazine said that the United States once again viewed Pakistan as a valuable and effective partner. 

It added that Islamabad’s smart strategy had shifted the balance of power in Washington in its favour, and Pakistan was again being taken seriously.

The report also highlighted Pakistan’s role at the start of Trump’s second term in helping secure the arrest of a mastermind behind a major terrorist attack, calling it an immediate and encouraging success for the US president.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, was quoted as saying that Pakistan-US relations had once again become very good, adding that it was now essential to turn this opportunity into concrete results.

In contrast, the report said India had been pushed into a defensive and increasingly cold position, facing diplomatic setbacks and growing trade pressure. 

The magazine added that President Trump remained disappointed with India’s trade policies, that a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods was still in place, and that a bilateral trade deal remained uncertain.

Reporter: Ahmad Mansoor