Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025 redrafted the rules of international diplomacy. World capitals quickly realised that dealing with Trump’s second presidency required not just policy alignment but a carefully crafted psychological strategy — the use of flattery, personal validation, and dramatic public endorsement. Countries that understood this early gained an edge; those that resisted the new grammar of engagement found themselves side-lined.

No nation in South Asia exploited this shift more effectively than Pakistan, which turned personal praise, military symbolism, lobbying networks, and strategic bargaining into a diplomatic offensive that repositioned it favourably in Washington. At the same time, India — traditionally seen as America’s most reliable partner i

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