India’s strategic double game raises questions over its reliability as US partner
Delhi is ‘weakest link’ in anti-China coalition over Russia ties, US trust deficit
Srinagar: India’s growing defence cooperation with the United States while simultaneously deepening military and strategic ties with Russia has raised serious questions about its credibility as a dependable partner in Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
According to Kashmir Media Service, analysts view New Delhi’s approach as a policy of strategic hedging, enabling India to benefit from security cooperation with the United States while preserving strong political, military and economic relations with Russia and maintaining engagement with China.
Observers say India continues to resist formal alliance structures despite its prominent role in the Quad, creating uncertainty about its long-term commitment to collective security objectives in the Indo-Pacific region. They argue that New Delhi’s pursuit of multiple and often competing strategic partnerships reflects opportunism rather than a clear alignment with Western interests.
Analysts further note that India has continued expanding defence and logistics cooperation with Russia even as Moscow’s strategic partnership with China grows stronger. They maintain that such policies indirectly strengthen the Russia-China axis, which seeks to counter US influence across Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
According to strategic observers, India has allowed increased Russian military access and cooperation, including the use of ports and airfields, providing Moscow with opportunities to expand its regional footprint. They argue that these developments undermine efforts to build a cohesive coalition aimed at balancing China’s rise.
Experts say New Delhi’s simultaneous engagement with Washington, Moscow and Beijing has reinforced perceptions that India is pursuing a dual-track foreign policy designed primarily to maximise its own strategic advantages rather than support any particular bloc.
They contend that India’s reluctance to fully align with US objectives, coupled with its enduring ties with Russia, has made it the weakest link in the emerging anti-China coalition and raised concerns about its reliability as a long-term strategic partner in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.
