WASHINGTON– A Washington-based expert on India-U.S. relations has questioned the Trump administration’s recent pressure tactics on New Delhi, calling them counterproductive to strengthening bilateral ties.
Richard Rossow, Chair of India and Emerging Asia Economics at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said White House efforts to single out India over its ties with Russia “do not make a great deal of sense.” His remarks followed Senior Advisor Peter Navarro’s recent statement that “India needs to be with us, not Russia.”
“Long-time supporters of U.S.-India ties would like to see further reductions in India’s cooperation with Russia. But the pressure tactics adopted by President Trump in recent weeks — applying solely to India — do not make a great deal of sense,” Rossow told IANS.
Navarro has repeatedly accused India of “profiteering” from the war in Ukraine, a charge strongly denied by New Delhi. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri countered in The Hindu that “nothing could be further from the truth.” While critics argue Navarro often speaks outside official policy lines, Rossow said his statements are not far from Trump’s own positions, noting Navarro’s long-standing role as a close adviser.
The latest controversy comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Rossow, however, dismissed speculation that India was aligning with Moscow and Beijing, describing the SCO as “primarily a meeting forum rather than an action forum.” He stressed that Modi’s earlier trip to Tokyo had yielded “far more consequential announcements.”
On India-China engagement, Rossow welcomed steps to ease tensions but warned of limited prospects for deeper cooperation. “The ceiling for cooperation is probably quite low due to a wide range of deeper tensions on issues like China’s expanded presence in the Indian Ocean, one-sided trade, and the future of Tibetan Buddhism,” he said.
Rossow also explained the muted reaction from U.S. lawmakers. “Republicans in Congress seem worried about taking positions contrary to President Trump. As for Democrats, there are perhaps too many concerning things happening, many of which are domestic issues — and these will always take priority,” he noted. (Source: IANS)
