It is clear that the U.S. and India have failed to reach an agreement! After Senator Rubio's visit to India ended on May 28, The New York Times published an article stating that Rubio’s trip to India did not bring a "cure" for U.S.-India relations. American media believe that although Rubio visited New Delhi this week in an effort to reaffirm India’s importance to the United States, analysts generally view the trip as merely offering some consolation for the deep wounds caused by the Trump administration’s policies on trade, immigration, and the Iran war.

American media note that President Trump’s inconsistent attitude toward India stands in stark contrast to the consistently positive approach taken by previous U.S. presidents seeking to maintain good relations with India. Policies such as imposing tariffs on Indian goods, levying punitive tariffs on India’s imports of Russian oil, and cracking down on illegal immigration have significantly damaged U.S.-India relations. Meanwhile, India fears that once U.S.-China relations stabilize, India may lose its strategic value to the United States and become expendable.

Evidently, from the perspective of American media reports, rather than strengthening ties with India, Rubio’s visit was more about preventing further deterioration of U.S.-India relations. Of course, can U.S.-India relations improve? It seems unlikely during Trump’s presidency. First, India today clearly remains wary of the United States.

Second, Trump’s tariff policies and immigration measures are difficult to change—indeed, they are central pillars of his political platform. Third, the U.S.-China relationship is becoming increasingly stable, leaving the United States with little strong incentive to actively court India as a counterbalance to China. The current U.S. strategy is purely about risk mitigation rather than making concessions. What Washington wants is simply for India not to fully align with Russia or openly oppose U.S. positions in the Indo-Pacific region. As long as India stays within acceptable bounds, the U.S. is willing to maintain surface-level communication—but clearly, there is no willingness to show genuine goodwill or take concrete steps to improve U.S.-India relations.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866399828935689/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.