WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — A former U.S. official said Wednesday that Washington should stop pushing India to cut defence ties with Russia. She warned that such pressure could weaken the growing partnership between the world’s two largest democracies.
Lindsey Ford, who once served in the U.S. government on South Asia issues, spoke before a U.S. congressional commission. She urged U.S. leaders to better understand India’s security needs and to respect New Delhi’s strategic choices. Her comments came just days after President Donald Trump eased trade tensions by lowering tariffs on Indian goods.
Ford cautioned that asking India to abruptly break defence links with Moscow could backfire. She said India relies on Russian military systems that cannot be replaced overnight. She told lawmakers that without credible U.S. alternatives, India is unlikely to walk away from long-standing relationships.
Ford said the United States must not expect India to immediately end its defence cooperation with Russia. She said such a move might weaken India’s security rather than strengthen it. The solution, she added, is not pressure but partnership.
“America needs to understand that if we ask India to diversify away from Russia, it will create a real vulnerability for India,” she said. “If America does not step up to provide things militarily, we should not expect that India will walk away from Russia.”
Her testimony highlighted how defence ties with Russia remain central to India’s military planning. These ties include aircraft, missiles, and air defence systems that Indian forces have depended on for decades.
The debate unfolded as the United States moved to ease a year-long diplomatic rift with India. President Trump announced a cut in tariffs on Indian imports from 50% to 18%, a decision New Delhi welcomed as a sign of warming ties. Trump’s tariff cut came after months of tense negotiations over trade and energy. The United States had previously imposed steep tariffs, in part linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. India defended those purchases as essential for its energy security.
While the tariff relief has helped revive diplomatic space, Ford said it does not erase deeper strategic doubts in New Delhi about Washington’s reliability as a long-term partner. She said the tensions of the past year have amplified voices in India that question how much the country can trust U.S. commitments.
Ford also urged U.S. policymakers to take India’s security concerns seriously. She pointed to India’s anxieties over Pakistan’s defence cooperation with China. She said Washington and its allies should examine claims that Pakistan may be using Western tactics, technology, and training and passing those advantages to China.
“It behoves the United States to interrogate a little more the degree to which some of the things that Indian colleagues raise as concerns,” she said, according to her testimony.
Her remarks reflect wider unease in India about the region’s security dynamics. New Delhi has watched Beijing deepen its strategic ties with Islamabad, including in defence and infrastructure. Such developments have heightened India’s sense of vulnerability along its northern and western borders.
Ford said that if the United States wants India to diversify from Russian military hardware, it must offer clear, reliable alternatives. She urged Washington to accelerate the provision of advanced U.S. military equipment, including air defence systems, long-range strike capabilities, and undersea technologies.
Without these, she warned, India is likely to maintain its existing defence relationships. Ford said that forcing a rupture could expose India to additional security risks, particularly as competition with China intensifies in Asia. Her assessment suggests that treaty-level cooperation and tangible defence support, rather than coercive pressure, will determine the future of the India-U.S. strategic partnership.
Analysts say India values its strategic autonomy and will make decisions based on its national interests. Trade and defence ties with the United States have grown in recent years, but New Delhi also seeks balanced relations with other global powers. The recent tariff relief has eased economic friction, but deeper geopolitical trust will take time to build.
