Sergio Gor, the nominee for the next U.S. Ambassador to India told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday that the US will make it a top priority to “bring India closer to our side and distance it from China.”
He acknowledged that while the U.S. and India may be experiencing some temporary challenges, efforts are underway to resolve them. Gor noted the long-standing and deepening ties between the two nations, noting that the U.S. shares a much warmer relationship with India, both its government and its people, compared to India’s relations with China.
He remarked that although the U.S.-India relationship is currently experiencing some hiccups, both sides are actively working to resolve them.
“Our relationship with the Indian government and the Indian people extends many more decades, and it’s a much warmer relationship than they have with the Chinese… Chinese expansionism is not just on the border with India, it’s all over the area,” he added.
Earlier, United States President Donald Trump claimed that the US has “lost” India and Russia to “deepest, darkest China”.
Trump, shared a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin on Truth Social and wrote, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”
India-US tariff deal
He further revealed that the two countries are not that “far apart on a deal already on these tariffs.”
Gor also said that the issue between India and the US regarding the 50 per cent tariffs on Indian products should be resolved in a few weeks, even as Donald Trump is pressuring European Union leaders to ratchet up tariffs on India and China to punish the countries for Russian energy buys.
Gor also addressed one of the administration’s top priorities: persuading India to reduce its reliance on Russian oil. “To your point, getting India to stop buying Russian oil is a top priority for this administration,” Gor confirmed.
Gor assured senators that the administration’s diplomatic efforts would ultimately lead to resolutions, particularly with regard to India’s oil purchases. “I think the time will arrive upon us in the next few weeks, in the next few months, for all of this to get resolved,” he added.
Trump has accused New Delhi of fueling Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine by buying oil from Russia, its Cold War ally. Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro has even called it “Modi’s war.”
In a highly unusual move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a surprise appearance at the hearing to introduce Sergio Gor, the nominee. India is “one of the top relationships the United States has in the world today in terms of the future of what the world’s going to look like,” Rubio said.
Successive U.S. administrations have viewed India as a key strategic partner to balance China’s growing influence. However, under Donald Trump, that relationship faced significant strain due to his aggressive trade policies. Negotiations over reduced tariff rates broke down when India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, refused to open its agricultural and dairy markets further.
With annual bilateral trade exceeding $190 billion, tensions escalated when Trump initially imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports.
He later announced a hike to 50%, effective August 27, in response to India’s increased purchases of Russian oil, a move Washington opposed amid its efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
The hearing highlighted a notable shift in the Trump administration’s approach to relations with New Delhi.
Senate aides noted that it was unusual for the secretary of state to personally attend a hearing to introduce an ambassadorial nominee, reflecting the importance placed on the US-India relationship.
The process also moved faster than normal, Trump announced Sergio Gor as his pick for ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs on August 22.
Republican senators welcomed the nomination, suggesting India would benefit from having an ambassador with close ties to Trump. “There are few relationships as vital to our national security and economic interests,” said Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, who previously served as ambassador to Japan under Trump.
India is expected to host a Quad summit in November, with a stronger focus on security issues related to China than in past meetings. However, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters that Trump has not yet scheduled a visit to attend the summit.
(With inputs from agencis)
