WASHINGTON, D.C. — The administration’s decision to move forward with AUKUS indicates that President Donald Trump continues to recognize the strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region, according to an analysis cited on Thursday. The move follows months of uncertainty surrounding AUKUS, the Quad, and the Squad — security groupings that together form a loose framework aimed at deterring China’s expanding influence.
Concerns had grown in Australia, Japan, India, and the Philippines after all three initiatives were put under review earlier this year. Those concerns eased after Trump met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and reaffirmed that the United States would continue with its commitment to supply Australia with armed, nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS, India Narrative reported.
“The decision ends months of speculation that the pact would be shelved or gutted. But if the administration thinks that delivering submarines settles America’s Indo-Pacific strategy, it misunderstands the region’s evolving security demands,” wrote Indian policy analyst and Asia expert Somen Chatterjee.
AUKUS remains central to long-term deterrence in the region, both by equipping Australia with submarines capable of operating undetected for extended periods and by accelerating technological cooperation in cyber, artificial intelligence, and undersea warfare — areas seen as crucial for countering China’s naval expansion and gray-zone tactics.
“The good news is that Trump ultimately sided with the strategic logic of AUKUS over the temptation to treat allies like mere customers in a transactional geopolitical marketplace. But reviving AUKUS should be seen as the beginning, not the culmination, of a coherent Indo-Pacific strategy,” the report said.
As AUKUS stabilizes, the analysis said the tougher task now is to restore momentum for the Quad and revive the weakening Squad network. The Quad — comprising India, the United States, Japan, and Australia — has grown into a multi-dimensional regional platform. Its future direction, the report noted, depends heavily on Washington’s ability to strengthen ties with New Delhi.
“The Indo-Pacific is not waiting for Washington to get its bearings. China is testing red lines. Allies are hedging. Nations from Vietnam to South Korea are recalculating how much they can depend on the United States,” Chatterjee wrote. He argued that continued support for AUKUS shows Trump recognizes the region’s importance, “but reviving one pillar is not enough.”
“AUKUS offers Australia submarines. But the Quad offers governance. The Squad offers frontline deterrence. Only together do they offer strategy,” he wrote, adding that an “America First” foreign policy can still align with keeping the Indo-Pacific free, open, and rules-based — but only if the United States reinvests political capital into strengthening its alliances. (Source: IANS)
