For years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought India closer to the United States, especially emphasizing his relationship with President Donald Trump, whom he called a "true friend." But just when Modi needed this relationship, he had to endure a series of blows from Trump, damaging his reputation as a strong leader at home. Indian officials are wondering how this historically best relationship turned sour so quickly?

The Balance of Relationship is Shaken

On the 30th, Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on India, and also imposed an undisclosed additional punishment due to India's economic ties with Russia. This was the latest in a series of dismissive actions. Modi has been criticized for the attitude of the Trump administration towards India, as it seems that the US treats India equally with its smaller rival Pakistan.

Analysts and officials in New Delhi said that this hurt deeper: it abandoned a relationship that had been carefully cultivated for decades. This relationship originally recognized India's balancing act in a complex region where China and Russia have great influence. India had always been allowed to get closer to the US according to its own interests.

Ashok Malik, head of Asian Group's India operations and a former advisor to the Modi government, said: "A characteristic of Indian foreign policy over the past 20 or 25 years has been the establishment of a balance with the US at both the leadership and institutional levels through hardships and multiple changes of power. But now, this balance is shaken."

Malik said that recent events show that the two countries are not completely aligned at the strategic level, and the current relationship seems to be the worst since the early 1990s.

During Trump's first term, Modi stood alongside the president in Houston, praising Trump in a highly flattering speech as his "true friend in the White House." However, early this year, just after Trump's second term began, the US expelled several planes of Indian immigrants in chains. These images triggered a political storm against Modi, who pays attention to image, indicating that Indians should not expect to be treated more specially than other citizens.

This spring, the situation worsened further. India pointed its finger at Pakistan following a terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 26 people and took military action against Pakistan. At that time, India expected the US to stand on its side. However, Trump basically remained neutral between the two countries. After the ceasefire, Trump repeatedly claimed that it was he who forced the Indian government to accept the agreement, embarrassing Modi. Just as the Indian leader was trying to mitigate domestic losses, Trump added fuel to the fire by inviting the powerful Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan to lunch.

Breaking Diplomatic Continuity

Then came the tariffs. Although many countries have resisted Trump's desire to push for trade agreements favorable to the US, India did not do so.

On the 31st, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told the Indian Parliament that since March, the two countries have been pushing for a "fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement." He said that four rounds of face-to-face negotiations have been held, and the Indian government is studying Trump's latest tariff statement.

India's protectionist system has had friction with every American administration, but officials say that it is the way Trump's second term is being handled that is the real problem. An Indian official said that during Trump's second term, diplomatic continuity was broken. In the six months of his rule, many positions dealing with Indian affairs, including the US Ambassador to New Delhi, remain vacant.

What surprised many Indians particularly was that Trump threatened to punish India for its purchases of oil and weapons from Russia.

In the early stages of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, India faced great pressure from the Biden administration and European countries to reduce its ties with Moscow. However, as time passed, this pressure gradually weakened, and Western governments seemed to focus more on India's potential role as a counterweight to a larger threat, China. Now, India imports up to 2 million barrels of oil per day from Russia, making it the second-largest buyer of Russian oil. Trump's threat to punish India may reflect his dissatisfaction with Russia's failure to end the Ukraine conflict, but analysts say it is more likely a negotiation strategy.

In addition, India has long reduced its traditional reliance on Russian military equipment, and now, India is increasingly purchasing large-scale equipment from the US and its Western allies.

Aparna Pandey, Director of the India Program at the Hudson Institute, said that a delicate bilateral relationship established by US presidents since Bill Clinton, due to India's increasing importance to US national security, now seems to be disappearing. (Translated by Tu Qi)

This article was published on the website of the New York Times in the United States on July 31. The original title was "What Did It Bring to Modi to Be a 'True Friend' of Trump? Indians Don't Think Much of It," written by Mujib Mashar.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7536472033095287332/

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