The Bottom Line

How did India-US relations decline so suddenly?

How India’s refusal to acknowledge Trump’s mediation during the brief war with Pakistan led to a trade war with the US.

For decades, the United States has been courting India as a counterbalance to China in Asia.

But after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to agree with US President Donald Trump’s insistence that he had ended a Pakistan-India military conflict in May, Trump slapped 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods entering the US market. He also insisted that New Delhi stop buying discounted Russian oil.

Host Steve Clemons asks Ravi Agrawal, chief editor of Foreign Policy, and Anja Manuel, executive director of the Aspen Security Forum, whether the India-US dispute is a temporary blip or the beginning of a major realignment.

Published On 7 Sep 20257 Sep 2025