- Mark Kimmitt says India must heed evolving Washington-Islamabad equation
- Barkha Dutt notes divergence between Washington’s stance and Indian public opinion
- Macron presses Modi to back Ukraine peace efforts, straining India’s neutrality, as New Delhi caught between historic Moscow ties and Western pressure
WASHINGTON/PARIS: India should “think carefully” about the growing warmth between Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and US President Donald Trump, warned former US Assistant Secretary of State Mark Kimmitt, highlighting possible shifts in regional geopolitics.
Speaking during a discussion on British broadcaster Piers Morgan’s show—also joined by Indian journalist Barkha Dutt—Kimmitt surprised participants by calling India’s defiance of Trump’s recent threats “arrogance.” He stressed that New Delhi must pay attention to the evolving equation between Washington and Islamabad.
Dutt, writing in her Hindustan Times column, described how the debate underscored the divergence between Washington’s response to Trump’s trade war and Indian public opinion.
The conversation unfolded against the backdrop of China’s military parade, where Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walked alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping — a display that reignited global debate on Beijing’s growing clout.
‘India struggling to balance ties between Russia and the West’
French President Emmanuel Macron said he had spoken with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to brief him on his recent Paris meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and members of the Coalition of the Willing, stressing joint efforts for “a lasting peace in Ukraine.”
“Building on our friendship and our strategic partnership, we will continue moving forward together to trace this path toward peace,” Macron said in a social media statement.
Analysts believe such exchanges highlight India’s increasing difficulty in maintaining a balance between Moscow and Western capitals. While New Delhi has long relied on Russia for defence hardware and energy supplies, pressure from the US and Europe to align with their stance on Ukraine is mounting.
Observers note that India’s bid to maintain neutrality is complicated by its expanding strategic partnerships with the US and France in defence and technology, even as it seeks to safeguard its historic ties with Moscow. The Ukraine conflict, they add, has left India in a precarious position, forcing it to tread cautiously between its old ally Russia and its Western partners.
