In a bid to strike what he described as a “mature, pragmatic balance” in American foreign policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed that Washington’s effort to expand strategic ties with Pakistan will not come at the cost of its deep and historic relationship with India.

Speaking to reporters aboard a flight to Doha on Saturday—en route to Malaysia and other stops on President Donald Trump’s ongoing East Asia tour—Rubio said the US sought “strategic engagement” with multiple partners in South Asia, but such efforts were not “zero-sum.”

“I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important,” Rubio said, according to Bloomberg. “India, too, has relationships with countries that we don’t always align with. Vice versa applies.”

Rubio’s comments come amid rising concern in New Delhi about Washington’s recent warmth toward Islamabad, which Indian officials and analysts view as a possible shift in the Trump administration’s South Asia strategy. The move coincides with growing friction between the US and India over trade disputes, oil imports from Russia, and the perception of India being sidelined in Trump’s high-profile diplomatic maneuvers.

A Renewed US Push Toward Pakistan

Under Trump, the US has revived its engagement with Pakistan, a country that for decades was considered both a critical ally and a source of frustration in Washington’s foreign policy circles. Rubio, who has emerged as one of Trump’s most influential foreign policy voices, framed this renewed relationship as part of a broader strategy to “rebuild an alliance” rooted in counterterrorism cooperation and regional stability.

“Look, we’re fully aware of the challenges with regards to India and everything else,” Rubio said. “But our job is to create opportunities for partnerships where it’s possible. We’ve had a long history of partnering with Pakistan on counter-terror and things of that nature. We’d like to expand it beyond that, if possible.”

The remarks reflect what US officials privately describe as a recalibration of South Asia policy—seeking to balance ties with India, an increasingly important strategic and economic partner, and Pakistan, a long-standing security collaborator whose cooperation remains vital in Afghanistan and counterterrorism efforts.

India’s Unease and the Tariff Factor

In India, however, the optics of Washington’s renewed embrace of Islamabad have sparked unease. Relations between New Delhi and Washington have cooled in recent months, particularly after Trump imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports—reportedly up to 50%—in what he described as a “penalty” for India’s continued oil trade with Russia amid the Ukraine war.

Pakistan, by contrast, faces an average US tariff rate of just 19%. The disparity, along with Washington’s recent signing of new deals with Islamabad on critical mineral exploration and oil cooperation, has been interpreted in New Delhi as a tilt in Pakistan’s favour.

Trump’s frequent public praise of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir has also raised eyebrows in India. Trump has referred to both as “great leaders”—the same phrase he often uses for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, though the recent chill between the two leaders has not gone unnoticed.

Trump’s “Peacemaker” Narrative

Adding to the tension, Trump has repeatedly portrayed himself as a peacemaker in South Asia. He continues to claim that he personally brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following a brief border conflict in May—allegedly using tariff threats to force both sides into de-escalation.

“I stopped a war,” Trump said earlier this year, boasting that he “deserves” a Nobel Peace Prize for preventing escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. India has publicly rejected Trump’s version of events, insisting that no such mediation occurred.

Pakistan, on the other hand, has lauded Trump’s statements and even formally nominated him for the Nobel Prize, further amplifying Indian suspicion of Washington’s motives.

Expanding Economic Links with Pakistan

As part of Trump’s outreach, the US recently concluded agreements with Pakistan covering the mining of critical minerals and joint ventures in energy exploration. Rubio described these developments as an effort to “diversify partnerships in the region” while bolstering American access to key supply chains.

“Pakistan has resources and a strategic position that make it an important partner,” Rubio said. “We’re looking to expand cooperation in areas beyond traditional security issues.”

The shift marks a notable contrast with Washington’s earlier policy of conditioning engagement with Pakistan on counterterrorism benchmarks. Instead, the Trump-Rubio team has cast Pakistan as a “strategic opportunity” amid the administration’s broader Indo-Pacific ambitions.

ASEAN Summit and India’s Absence

Rubio arrived in Malaysia on Sunday to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit alongside President Trump. Notably, Prime Minister Modi skipped the event, missing what could have been a crucial opportunity for a bilateral meeting with the US delegation.

During the summit, Trump oversaw the signing of a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, once again claiming personal credit for brokering the deal and referring to Sharif and Munir as “great people.”

Rubio is expected to meet India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit on Monday. Officials say the two are likely to discuss progress on the stalled Indo-US trade deal and ongoing concerns about India’s oil imports from Russia.

The Russian Oil Dispute

Washington has been increasingly vocal in urging India to reduce its purchases of Russian crude, arguing that such trade indirectly funds President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. India, now among the world’s largest importers of Russian oil, has consistently maintained that its decisions are based on energy security needs.

While India has diplomatically rejected Trump’s claim that Modi “promised to stop buying Russian oil,” Rubio said the Indian government has conveyed its intention to gradually diversify supply sources, including increasing imports from the United States.

“The more we sell them, the less they’ll buy from someone else,” Rubio remarked, characterising the move as beneficial for both nations.

Last week, the US imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil suppliers, a move that has already forced Indian refiners to explore alternative arrangements, according to Bloomberg.

Balancing Act or Strategic Drift?

Rubio’s assurances that the US-Pakistan relationship is not being revived “at India’s expense” may calm some nerves in New Delhi, but analysts note that India’s unease is rooted in more than rhetoric. The combination of steep tariffs, Pakistan’s new economic agreements, and Trump’s unpredictable diplomacy has created an impression of inconsistency in Washington’s South Asia strategy.

For India, the stakes are significant. The US remains its largest trading partner and a crucial defense collaborator, yet New Delhi has sought to maintain its strategic autonomy, especially on energy and regional security issues. Trump’s transactional approach—marked by public praise one day and punitive tariffs the next—has complicated that balance.

As Rubio heads into talks with Jaishankar, the challenge will be to reassure India that the US remains committed to the long-term strategic partnership that has deepened over the past two decades, even as Washington explores new openings with Pakistan.

In the words of one senior US diplomat, speaking anonymously: “The message we’re trying to send is simple. The US can walk and chew gum at the same time—it can engage Pakistan without alienating India. The question is whether Delhi believes it.”