India’s U.S. dilemma as ties turn taxing, benefits shrink

Countries that partnered with the United States over the decades subordinated their strategic autonomy, and even national sovereignty, for the benefits that came with it. In its America First era under Donald J. Trump, partners of the U.S. are being asked to bend according to U.S. priorities, but not necessarily with any accompanying benefits. For India, this approach manifested in two developments in quick succession in recent days: the U.S. extended export controls on AI technologies, which will only expand further in the coming days; and it made clear that it cared little for Indian concerns while waging its arbitrary war on Iran along with Israel. And this came after a series of American moves that has had an impact on India’s oil imports.

Countries that signed up at various levels of cooperation with the U.S. got, in return for compromising their strategic autonomy, a security umbrella — nuclear, in the case of Japan, South Korea, and NATO partners; access to capital, technology, and global markets; and U.S. protection in international bodies. For instance, Japan and Germany forfeited an independent military posture and built two of the world’s largest economies within the American framework. South Korea emerged from war to become a technology and manufacturing power under the same umbrella. The Gulf Cooperation Council states accepted U.S. forces on their soil in exchange for security guarantees.