Rubio’s India visit was a ‘band-aid’, only Trump can repair ties: Former White House official

Washington: Former White House official Lisa Curtis has said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent visit to India helped calm tensions between Washington and New Delhi, but argued that only US President Donald Trump can fully rebuild confidence in the bilateral relationship.

Curtis, who served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for South and Central Asia at the National Security Council between 2017 and 2021, made the remarks during an interview.

According to her, Rubio’s visit was important in preventing further strain in ties after a difficult period in the relationship.

“Well, I think it was very important for Secretary Rubio to go to India to try to repair some of the damage done to the US-India relationship over the last year,” Curtis said.

She described the visit as temporary damage control rather than a complete reset.

“I think his visit did serve as a kind of band-aid to relations,” she added.

Quad meeting sent positive signal despite absence of leaders’ summit

Curtis, who currently heads the Indo-Pacific Security Programme at the Centre for a New American Security, said the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting held during Rubio’s India trip carried symbolic importance.

She noted that the meeting showed the Quad grouping continued to remain active even without a summit involving leaders of the four countries.

According to Curtis, the gathering demonstrated that the alliance still retained momentum despite the absence of a leader-level meeting.

The Quad consists of India, the United States, Japan and Australia and has increasingly become central to Indo-Pacific strategy amid growing concerns over China’s expanding influence in the region.

India concerned over tariffs, immigration curbs and US-Pakistan ties

Curtis said several developments over the past year had created unease in India regarding Washington’s priorities.

She pointed to trade tariffs, tighter immigration policies and what she described as growing closeness between the United States and Pakistan as factors affecting Indian perceptions.

“This is all built up in the Indian psyche,” she said.

According to Curtis, many in India believe the second Trump administration has not attached the same strategic importance to New Delhi as was seen during Trump’s first term in office.

“I think it shows that the second Trump administration has not been prioritising India and its relationship with India as the first Trump administration did,” she said.

‘Only President Trump can really reset the relationship’

Curtis argued that a meaningful revival in ties would require direct engagement and messaging from President Trump himself.

“Only President Trump can really reset the relationship,” she said.

She added that India was waiting for stronger signals from Trump that the bilateral relationship remained a priority for Washington.

“I think only when he shows that he prioritises the relationship and wants to see an improvement from what happened last year,” she said.

Curtis suggested that a visit by Trump to India or repeated public emphasis on India’s role in US Indo-Pacific strategy could help restore confidence between the two countries.

“The best thing is for President Trump to keep talking about the importance of India,” she added.

Russian oil waiver seen positively in New Delhi

Despite concerns, Curtis noted that some recent US decisions had been welcomed in India.

She specifically referred to Washington extending a waiver that allows India to continue importing Russian oil, saying the move had been viewed positively in New Delhi.

India has maintained energy ties with Russia despite Western sanctions and geopolitical tensions following the Ukraine conflict.

Concerns rising over Trump’s China approach

Curtis also said Indian policymakers were closely watching Trump’s recent engagement with China.

According to her, Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping may have created the impression in India that Washington was shifting focus towards smoother economic ties with Beijing rather than strategic competition.

“I think that the outcome of that summit probably has led Indians to believe that President Trump is much more interested in pursuing smooth ties with China, focusing on trade rather than strategic competition,” she said.

She added that remarks suggesting US weapons sales to Taiwan could become part of negotiations with China had also raised concerns across the Indo-Pacific region.

Questions persist over future of quad leadership engagement

While ministerial-level Quad meetings continue to take place, Curtis said there was concern about the lack of engagement at the highest political level.

“We missed having a leader-level meeting last year,” she said.

“This was the first time in five years that there was no leader-level meeting.”

She suggested that regular summits between Quad leaders were important for maintaining confidence in the grouping’s long-term direction and strategic purpose.

India-US relations under close watch

India-US ties have experienced turbulence over the past year amid disagreements linked to trade, immigration and regional diplomacy.

Observers in both Washington and New Delhi are now closely assessing whether the second Trump administration will continue the same strategic focus on India that characterised Trump’s earlier presidency.

Curtis’ remarks come at a time when both countries are attempting to balance economic cooperation, security interests and broader Indo-Pacific strategy amid changing geopolitical dynamics.

Agency inputs