Ex-Singapore diplomat’s take on India-US ties goes viral amid Trump tariffs: ‘US not reliable but…’

A former Singapore diplomat said the US is “not reliable, but indispensable.” He stressed that every four years, American leadership and priorities can swing dramatically, so neither Singapore nor India, in his view, counts on US reliability for defense. Instead, countries must hedge, strengthen their own capabilities, and make strategic choices that serve their own interests—relying on the US to maintain the broader balance of power in Asia, but not for direct defense.