US Ties With Pakistan, China Won’t Come at India’s Expense: Marco Rubio
NEW DELHI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to address India’s concerns over Washington’s growing engagement with Pakistan and China, asserting that America’s relationship with any country would never come at the expense of its ties with India.
In an interview, Rubio said comparisons with the foreign policy of the 1970s, during the administration of former US president Richard Nixon and his national security adviser Henry Kissinger, were misplaced, as the global geopolitical landscape had changed significantly since then.
During the Nixon administration, the US maintained close ties with Pakistan’s military leadership under General Yahya Khan, with Islamabad playing a key role in Washington’s diplomatic outreach during the Cold War.
Rubio said the circumstances that shaped US foreign policy at the time were no longer relevant in the same way. He pointed out that the world had changed considerably since the 1970s, with several geopolitical dynamics, including those associated with the Cold War, no longer existing in their earlier form.
US-Pakistan ties will not undermine India
Responding to questions about the Donald Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen ties with Pakistan, particularly with Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, Rubio said Washington did not view its relationship with Islamabad as a trade-off against its partnership with New Delhi.
He emphasised that America’s engagement with other countries would not weaken its relationship with India.
Rubio cited his visit to India, Washington’s commitment to a bilateral trade agreement and ongoing cooperation across various sectors as evidence of the importance the US attaches to its partnership with New Delhi.
He also suggested that Washington’s engagement with Pakistan could, in certain circumstances, help address concerns that might otherwise lead to conflict involving India.
According to Rubio, maintaining communication with Pakistan could allow the US to use its influence constructively and discourage actions that could trigger tensions. He described the possibility of using diplomatic engagement to prevent conflict as a potentially positive outcome.
Ukraine war remains difficult to resolve
During his two-day visit to India, Rubio also discussed the challenges involved in ending the four-year war between Russia and Ukraine.
He said resolving the conflict was a complex task and noted that, if ending the war had been easy, it would have concluded much earlier.
His remarks come amid continuing diplomatic efforts to address global conflicts and strengthen strategic partnerships, with Washington seeking to maintain relations with multiple countries while reaffirming the importance of its ties with India.
