There is much bigger things at stake.
US President Donald Trump is pushing things to a certain corner wherein the Strategic Partnership builds over the decades between India and USA could be jeopordised. Trump is either ignorant of how things progressed between New Delhi and Washington since the 1990s especially under Bill Clinton and Atal Bihari Vajpayee; or he is doing the negative games deliberately.
India has bid goodbye to the non-alignment era and leaned towards the west and especially the United States. It has joined the Quad alongside Japan, Australia and also US in the unique club.
New Delhi has also demonstrated keenness to share 'responsibility' in the Indo Pacific.
Look at contrast and try to examine why and how Trump is trying to put India in bracket (or hyphenated) with Pakistan.
The latter's economy is in shambles. Pakistan is also closely and blindly aligned to China and has a track record of cultivating snakes in their backyards as was stated by Hillary Clinton, the then Secretary of State under Barack Obama.
Trump is perhaps also a world leader of his stature who is contradicting himself.
In his first stint, he has 'penalized' Pakistan for being a “safe haven for terrorists” but now he invited disgraced Pakistan army chief to lunch even forgetting the protocols.
Worse, when India and Pakistan agreed to a cease-fire after New Delhi's Operation Sindoor - that had left Pakistan bleeding; Trump went on to repeatedly claim that he had forced the deal on Modi.
There is an element of being economical with truth. Modi told Trump during tele talk on July 17th -- that there was 'no talk at any stage on subjects like India-U.S. trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan”.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said:
“PM Modi told President Trump clearly that during this period, there was no talk at any stage on subjects like India-U.S. trade deal or US mediation between India and Pakistan".
Trump is also unable to appreciate that unlike Pakistan; when bilateral talks take place India brings on the table credibility, democracy and geopolitical leverage to shape and re-shape the regional balance of power.
MEA statement on Aug 4, 2025 :
"India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict.
In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability.
India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation.
However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion.
"The European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at Euro 17.2 billion in 2023. This is significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia that year or subsequently.
European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5mn tonnes, surpassing the last record of 15.21mn tonnes in 2022.
"Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment.
"Where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals.
"In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security".
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