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US Will Not Pursue Pakistan Ties at India's Cost: Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to reassure India that Washington's relationship with Pakistan will not come at New Delhi's expense. Rubio also distanced the Trump administration from comparisons with the Cold War-era US diplomatic approach toward South Asia.
LSN India ·
Addressing concerns about US engagement with Pakistan, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Trump administration's foreign policy toward the region would not prioritize Washington's ties with Islamabad over its strategic partnership with India. The assurance comes as the incoming US administration charts its approach to South Asian geopolitics.
Rubio rejected characterizations of the Trump administration's strategy as a revival of the Nixon-Kissinger model from the 1970s, when the US maintained closer ties with Pakistan while maintaining distance from India. He emphasized that the global strategic environment has fundamentally shifted since that era, making direct historical parallels inapt.
The remarks reflect efforts by the incoming Trump administration to navigate the complex diplomatic landscape in South Asia, where the US maintains strategic interests with both India and Pakistan. India has long been sensitive to any suggestion that US engagement with Pakistan might compromise the bilateral relationship or provide leverage to Pakistan on Kashmir and other contentious issues.
Rubio's clarification signals the administration's intent to maintain India as a key strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region while managing its diplomatic relations with other stakeholders in the region. The statement underscores the Trump team's recognition of India's growing geopolitical importance in US strategy.
Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) meets Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at the State Department, Washington, February 2026. Freddie Everett, US Department of State, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).