Washington, Sep 17: Former US National Security Advisor (NSA) Susan Rice has described India as a “proud and strong nation” that may “go in a different direction” due to the Trump administration’s policies – a possible move which she characterised as a “huge loss” for the United States.
Speaking at an event organised by Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank, earlier this week, Rice blamed US President Donald Trump’s attempt to claim credit for defusing tensions between India and Pakistan as one of the main reasons for worsening ties with New Delhi.
“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 as a proud and strong nation saying, we’re going to go in a different direction. That’s a huge loss,” Rice emphasised.
The former NSA’s statement comes as the India-US relationship appears to be on the mend. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend greetings on his 75th birthday.
Prime Minister Modi, in a post on X, called Trump his “friend” and thanked him for the wishes.
“Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” PM Modi wrote.
President Trump also posted on Truth Social, calling the phone call “wonderful” and thanked PM Modi for his support in attempting to end the conflict in Ukraine.
“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine! President DJT,” he wrote.
The call took place as US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch held talks with India’s chief trade negotiator and Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal in Delhi earlier on Tuesday.
Both sides termed the discussions as “positive.”
Despite the recent thaw, Rice criticised the Trump administration’s overall India strategy that has “pushed” it toward China and Russia “within a matter of weeks.”
“What was so striking about what happened at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was, among other things, 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,” she emphasised during the Washington event.
Last week, in an exclusive interview with the IANS, Congresswoman Deborah Ross termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China as a “smart move” to send a message to the United States that “he has options.”
“I think it was actually a smart move for him to do that, because he showed that he has options,” she noted.