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Former diplomat Manjeev Singh Puri on Wednesday said that US President-designate Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he will take United States out of wars and European countries have reasons to be apprehensive as his understanding of trans-Atlantic relationships is that they must "also pay and not just be beneficiaries".
Manjeev Singh, who has served as India's Ambassador to Nepal, also said that there might be certain push to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict. Trump won the US presidential polls and will have a second term in office. According to latest projections from Fox News, Trump has won 277 electoral votes, well above the 270 threshold needed to win the presidency. This will be only the second instance of a president serving two non-consecutive terms in the White House, the first in over 100 years. Grover Cleveland served as a non-consecutive president in 1884 and 1892. Puri said India is a country of interest for all major economies and the bilateral ties were excellent in Trump's first term in office. "My understanding is that Trump was able to focus more on the aspect of economy. Inflation was one of the key points which was not well addressed by the Biden-Harris administration...Today, India is a country of interest to all major economies in the world. We had excellent relations (with US) when Trump was in power earlier. The US has to also to bat for its own interests. Many have pointed out that Trump will take up issues of trade, tariffs and investment. We need to be prepared for all this...This is the only the second time in US history that a president who lost has come back," Puri told ANI. He was answering queries on Trump's victory and its impact on India-US relations. Asked about the impact of Trump's victory on global conflicts, Puri said there is a perception that Ukraine President Zelenskyy has reasons to be apprehensive. "President Trump has repeatedly said that he will take the US out of wars...He talks in terms of Ukraine, everyone says that President Zelenskyy has reasons to be apprehensive but I believe that the Europeans have reasons to be apprehensive because his understanding of trans-Atlantic relationships is one where they must also pay and not just be beneficiaries. This idea of free riders doesn't sit well with him....In the context of great power rivalry with Russia on Ukraine etc it might see a certain push on trying to find a solution," he said. Russia and Ukraine have been engaged in conflict since February 2022. In his address after his election victory, Trump expressed gratitude to the people and said he wouldn't rest until he delivers a "strong, safe, and prosperous America." Addressing supporters in Florida, accompanied by his running mate JD Vance and family members, Trump called his projected win the "greatest political movement of all time," which will help make "America great again." (ANI)
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