US Experts Warn Trump Administration Against Undermining Relationship With India: Report

(MENAFN- IANS) Washington, Sep 20 (IANS) US strategic experts have warned the administration led by President Donald Trump about the consequences of straining ties with India, a report cited on Saturday.

According to a report in 'Eurasia Review', top former US officials Kurt Campbell and Jake Sullivan remarked in an article in 'Foreign Affairs', that“the only thing harder than building and formalising a deeply significant relationship with India is not having one”.

The report said that the former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has also cautioned that damaging ties with India would effectively give China "a pass", amid Beijing's deepening relationship with Moscow.

"Tensions have recently surfaced in the US-India relationship, particularly after President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on India over its oil purchases from Russia. By penalizing India for purchasing Russian oil while strengthening ties with Pakistan, the US risks alienating one of its most important partners-and undermining India's long-standing relationship with Russia,” the report detailed.

“If the trust deficit between India and the US continues to widen, both nations could lose influence in the strategically vital Indian Ocean region. The reality is clear: India and the United States need each other now more than ever,” it added.

According to the report, unlike the restrictions placed on India, Trump's trade deal with Pakistan, which included preferential tariffs and support for oil exploration, did not require Pakistan to limit its relationship with China. This leniency, it said, has emboldened Pakistan to adopt a more aggressive strategy towards India.

The report highlighted that India's relationship with the US has soured in recent months, especially after Trump hosted Pakistan's controversial army chief, Asim Munir, at the White House in Washington following the deadly April 22 Pahlagam terrorist attack.

Munir's provocative remarks about Pakistan's potential global impact, seemingly aimed at India:“If Pakistan goes down, it would take half the world down with it,” made during a meeting in Tampa, Florida, in the presence of US military officials, sparked widespread criticism.

Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin compared Munir to“Osama bin Laden in a suit,” and criticised the US for failing to understand the ideological foundation of terrorism.

“India has long been a steadfast US ally since the end of the Cold War. Former President Barack Obama called India an 'indispensable partner' and as a key member of the Quad. India stands at the heart of Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy-a framework China views as an 'Asian NATO'. Until the recent trade dispute, both countries enjoyed a strong partnership, serving as a counterweight to China's influence in the region,” the report noted.

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