NEW DELHI: On the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a high-profile bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, the United States Embassy in New Delhi called the India-US partnership a “defining relationship of the 21st century.”
In a post on X, the Embassy shared remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, originally made earlier this year, highlighting the foundational role of “enduring friendship” in bilateral cooperation.
“The enduring friendship between our two peoples is the bedrock of our cooperation and propels us forward as we realise the tremendous potential of our economic relationship,” Rubio was quoted in the social media post by the embassy.
The embassy post said: “The partnership between the United States and India continues to reach new heights — a defining relationship of the 21st century. This month, we’re spotlighting the people, progress, and possibilities driving us forward… from innovation and entrepreneurship to defence and bilateral ties.”
The timing of the post coming just hours after images from Tianjin showed Modi in conversation with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping and ahead of Modi, Putin meeting can be seen as a calibrated signal from Washington as India continues to balance ties between strategic rivals.
During his meeting with Putin, Modi expressed support for recent peace efforts in Ukraine and confirmed the Russian leader’s visit to India in December. The optics of Modi sharing the stage with Putin and Xi have come amid strained ties between New Delhi and Washington, particularly over India’s continued import of Russian oil and the failure to finalise a long-anticipated bilateral trade agreement.
Tensions escalated after the US imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, with an additional 25% penalty specifically targeting imports involving Russian energy. The India-US 2+2 inter- sessional Dialogue, held last week, sought to move forward on defence cooperation, including talks on a new 10-year framework for the Major Defence Partnership.
Meanwhile The New York Times had reported that President Donald Trump has cancelled his planned visit to India — a further setback to trade negotiations.
Fueling controversy, Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro blamed India’s stance on the Ukraine war for continued global instability, controversially describing it as “Modi’s war.”
“Everybody in America loses because of what India is doing… and then taxpayers lose because we’ve got to fund Modi’s war. The road to peace runs, at least partly, right through New Delhi,” Navarro said. India has not yet officially responded to the remarks by the Trump adviser.