US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said military ties with India have “never been stronger” following a meeting with his counterpart Rajnath Singh, signalling that trade tensions have not affected broader strategic cooperation.
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During the Friday meeting, the two renewed a 10-year defence framework, with Hegseth calling the India-US partnership “one of the most consequential” in the world. This was their first in-person meeting and took place on the sidelines of a gathering of defence chiefs from Asean in Kuala Lumpur.
“This new 10-year defence framework we signed is ambitious,” Hegseth added. “It’s a significant step for our two militaries, a road map for deeper and even more meaningful collaboration ahead.”
Singh said that the framework will “open new doors” to bilateral ties.
Relations between New Delhi and Washington have deteriorated sharply in recent months, following the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports – partly as punishment for purchases of Russian oil. Still, despite the tensions, the two sides have maintained defence ties and continued joint military exercises.
China, Japan, South Korea meet Asean bloc
China, Japan, South Korea meet Asean bloc
Washington has long positioned India as a strategic counterweight to an increasingly assertive China in the Indo-Pacific, a role likely to remain intact even amid trade-related hostilities.