Trade deal after tariffs? Trump’s ‘India will love us again’ remark sparks buzz | Can India trust US?

India is walking a geopolitical tightrope. On one side is the United States, a partner that promises markets, tech and strategic convergence in the Indo-Pacific. On the other is Russia, a legacy partner that has supplied India with energy and defence for decades. But when Washington slaps tariffs and Moscow faces sanctions, India is forced to ask: how do you secure your national interest without becoming dependent on either power? The moment is tense. U.S. pressure on Russian oil imports is rising. Russia is diversifying its Asian outreach. Europe is recalibrating. And China continues to sit in the shadows, watching cracks widen. So the question isn’t just who India trades with, it’s how India protects autonomy in a world returning to Cold War-style blocs. This story asks: Can India truly maintain strategic independence when global pressure is closing in from both sides? And what does “non-alignment” mean in 2025, when the world is again being forced to pick a side?