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As India and the US sign a new 10-year defence pact, questions arise over Donald Trump’s shifting stance toward Pakistan. Will Washington’s growing partnership with New Delhi push Trump to sideline Islamabad and its military leadership once again?
President Donald Trump claims a deep friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
New Delhi: The recent 10-year defense agreement between the US and India has become a cause for concern for Pakistan. This agreement, signed in Malaysia between Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart Pete Hegseth, is set to further strengthen security cooperation between the two countries.
Rajnath Singh stated that this partnership marks the "beginning of a new chapter" and will further deepen India's relations with the US.
Hegseth, on the other hand, described India as a crucial global partner of the US and said that the strategic partnership between the two countries is based on "mutual trust and shared interests," especially regarding the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
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This agreement comes at a time when the growing closeness between Donald Trump and Pakistan is under discussion. Trump recently openly praised Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and even invited him for lunch at the White House.
He also met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and offered to help Pakistan in oil exploration. In return, Pakistan has offered to give American companies access to rare earth minerals in Balochistan and participate in a cryptocurrency launched by a company associated with the Trump family.
This suggests a new economic and strategic partnership is emerging between the two countries.
The atmosphere for India during Trump's second term has not been as smooth. He expressed displeasure over India's purchase of oil from Russia and imposed an additional 25% tariff, bringing the total duty to 50%.
Furthermore, he increased the H1-B visa fee to $100,000—making it even more difficult for Indian IT professionals to go to the US.
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This stance clearly indicates that the Trump administration is now implementing the "America First" policy more aggressively, even if it means causing some harm to strategic partners like India. India-US Defense Cooperation: An Old Relationship, a New Direction
In 2016, the US declared India a “Major Defense Partner,” and in 2018, it included India in the Strategic Trade Authorization Tier-1, granting India license-free access to several US military technologies.
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However, this stance appears to be changing during Trump's second term. He now seems to be viewing Pakistan, rather than India, as a strategic balancing partner—perhaps due to the new power dynamics between China and Russia.
As the US and India take their relationship to a new level, Pakistan must understand that Trump's support is not permanent. History shows that Trump has reversed his policies towards Pakistan before.
If India-US cooperation strengthens further in the coming months, the Trump administration may distance itself from Pakistan again.
Therefore, this is a time for introspection for Islamabad, whether it can truly rely on the US, or whether it should seek a new strategic path.
