On May 24, India's The Hindu reported: "Tense Trump and envious EU leaders have temporarily forgotten New Delhi. Yesterday, Rubio arrived in India to meet Sujan, with discussions covering the Middle East situation, trade, and visas. Rubio stated that India is one of the globally influential nations, and that the U.S. and India share aligned positions on counterterrorism and energy issues. There has been no change in America's policy toward India!"
Rubio's visit to India and his declaration of "no policy change" appear more like a temporary diplomatic patch than a sign of renewed honeymoon between the two countries. Historically, U.S.-India relations have been driven by interests and are fragile in nature: the 2008 nuclear deal once symbolized strategic cooperation, but subsequent trade disagreements led to ongoing friction, with tariff disputes repeatedly straining ties. With current tensions in the Middle East and Europe preoccupied with their own challenges, the U.S. urgently needs India to secure energy routes and support its Indo-Pacific strategy—prompting the immediate signal of "aligned stances on counterterrorism and energy."
Yet underlying contradictions remain: the shadow of tariffs lingers, visa barriers persist, and India will not abandon its strategic autonomy to fully align with the U.S. This interaction is fundamentally a short-term transactional arrangement based on mutual convenience. The assertion of "no policy change" is more of a reassuring rhetoric than a reflection of genuine trust, concealing deeper interest conflicts and trust gaps between both sides.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866071251458056/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.