Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Sep 17: Former US NSA Susan Rice has warned that India, a “proud and strong nation,” may move in a different strategic direction due to the policies of the Trump administration — a shift she described as a “huge loss” for the United States. Speaking at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, Rice pointed to President Donald Trump’s attempts to claim credit for reducing tensions between India and Pakistan as a key factor in the strain between Washington and New Delhi.
Rice stated that India did not embrace Trump's narrative of conflict mediation, which reportedly led to friction in the relationship. “It seems to be more about personal pique and the fact that when the President claimed credit for defusing the conflict between India and Pakistan, India didn't rush to embrace that narrative for reasons that many of us understand. And as a consequence, we now have seen India... saying, we're going to go in a different direction. That's a huge loss,” Rice said.
Her comments come at a time when the India-US relationship appears to be stabilizing. On Tuesday, President Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wish him on his 75th birthday. Modi thanked Trump in a post on social media platform X, calling him a “friend” and expressing commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership. He also voiced support for Trump’s efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict.
Trump echoed the sentiment in a post on Truth Social, calling the phone call with Modi “wonderful” and thanking him for his support in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. “He is doing a tremendous job,” Trump wrote.
Earlier the same day, US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch met India’s Chief Trade Negotiator Rajesh Agrawal in New Delhi. The talks were described as “positive” by both sides, hinting at renewed momentum in bilateral trade discussions.
Despite this recent thaw, Rice continued to criticise the broader trajectory of US-India ties under Trump, arguing that Washington's approach had driven India closer to Russia and China. She highlighted India’s participation in recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meetings, where it was seen aligning more visibly with Beijing and Moscow.
“What was so striking about what happened at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was... India being pushed into or moving into, literally, a grasping of hands with Russia and China, with whom, not long ago, they were, at least with China, firing shots,” Rice noted.
Adding to this perspective, US Congresswoman Deborah Ross, in a recent interview, called Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China a “smart move,” suggesting it was a calculated message to the US that India has strategic options.