Washington, Dec 25, (IANS) Influential American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has said that India-US relations are under strain, and blamed policies pursued by President Donald Trump for weakening economic and security cooperation between the two long-standing partners.
“US-India relations are not good right now for various reasons,” Krishnamoorthi said, citing trade disputes as a major factor.
“They include our trading relationship, among other things,” he told IANS in an interview.
He said the deterioration in ties comes at a time when closer coordination is needed, particularly in South Asia.
“We have to draw closer together right now to make sure that the neighbourhood in that region stays safe,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi warned that poor coordination could allow armed groups to exploit instability.
“That we don’t enable armed groups to come to the fore and carry out the violence they would like to carry out,” he said.
Asked what changed after decades of bipartisan support for strong India-US ties, he was blunt. “Two words: Donald Trump,” Krishnamoorthi said.
“Donald Trump came into office, and everything has changed with the US-India relationship,” he said, arguing that both economic and security cooperation have declined.
He sharply criticised Trump’s engagement with Pakistan’s military leadership. “Donald Trump cosying up to the head of the military in Pakistan, even superseding the civilian government in Pakistan, is appalling,” he said.
“He invited him over for lunch at the White House, specifically excluding the civilian rulers of Pakistan,” Krishnamoorthi added.
“That just tells you how poorly our foreign policy is being crafted right now,” he said, accusing the administration of drawing closer to adversaries while pushing away allies, including India.
“When you push away your friends, partners, and allies like India, and you draw your adversaries or strategic competitors closer, such as China or Russia, you show weakness,” he said.
“And when you show weakness, then you invite aggression,” Krishnamoorthi said. “When you have aggression, you spark conflict and potentially war.”
Asked whether he saw hope for improvement, Krishnamoorthi said he remained optimistic but pointed to ongoing policy obstacles. “As long as Donald Trump imposes arbitrary tariffs on Indian goods and goes after Indian nationals, pushing them away, he is committing a huge strategic blunder,” he said.
“He’s hurting America, hurting our economy, and hurting our ability to lead in the world,” Krishnamoorthi added, saying “the only people cheering these moves are located in Beijing and Moscow.”
India and the United States have expanded defence, technology, and economic cooperation over the past two decades.
Analysts have warned that trade frictions and immigration policies risk undermining trust at a time when both countries face shared strategic challenges.
–IANS
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