Rubio Visits India for 4 Days as 54% Say U.S. Ties Worsened
Updated
Updated · Council on Foreign Relations · May 21
Rubio Visits India for 4 Days as 54% Say U.S. Ties Worsened
4 articles · Updated · Council on Foreign Relations · May 21
May 23-26, Marco Rubio will visit India for talks with Narendra Modi, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Ajit Doval as Washington tries to steady a relationship that has sharply deteriorated.
54% of Indians told an India Today poll in January that ties with the United States had worsened under Trump, versus 21% who said they had improved.
Trump fueled the slide by claiming credit for ending a four-day India-Pakistan conflict, praising Pakistan army chief Asim Munir, and imposing a 50% tariff on Indian imports, including a 25% penalty tied to Russian oil purchases.
Rubio is also expected to attend a Quad foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, but doubts about U.S. commitment have grown after a planned summit failed to occur and the grouping barely featured in the new U.S. security strategy.
The visit will cover defense, economics and technology, with India also worried that the war in Iran could hit its energy-import-dependent economy and further strain the partnership.
With trust eroded by tariffs and perceived betrayals, can Secretary Rubio’s visit do more than just paper over deep cracks in U.S.-India relations?
As America pursues a 'G2' bargain with China, can its transactional diplomacy salvage the 'mega partnership' with an increasingly wary India?
Secretary Rubio’s High-Stakes 2026 India Mission: Resetting US-India Ties Amid Quad, Trade, and Security Challenges
Overview
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make his first official visit to India from May 23 to 26, 2026, following his participation in the NATO Foreign Ministers meeting in Sweden. The US embassy has highlighted a busy agenda, including high-level engagements and celebrations. A key focus of Rubio’s trip is the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, hosted by India and attended by Australian and Japanese counterparts. This visit aims to strengthen strategic ties, address recent tensions, and advance cooperation on critical issues like defense, technology, and supply chains, signaling a renewed commitment to the US-India partnership.