US Ties With Pakistan, China Will Not Come at India's Expense: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sought to ease New Delhi's concerns over Washington's growing ties with Pakistan and China, saying the United States' relationship with any other country will never come at the expense of its interests or partnership with India.

In an interview with Indian newspaper The Indian Express, Rubio said it would be inappropriate to compare President Donald Trump's approach with the policies pursued during the Nixon-Kissinger era of the 1970s, arguing that the global landscape has changed fundamentally since then.

During Richard Nixon's presidency, when Henry Kissinger served as national security adviser, US policy in South Asia leaned significantly towards Pakistan's military regime under General Yahya Khan.

“I wouldn't use the 1970s as an example, because the world today bears no resemblance to the world at that time,” Rubio said. “We had various dynamics, including the Cold War, that no longer exist.”

Addressing the Trump administration's close engagement with Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, Rubio stressed that Washington's ties with Islamabad would not undermine its relationship with New Delhi.

“Whatever relationship we have with any other country in the world, it will never be at the expense of or to the detriment of our relationship with India. That is not how we approach our relationship with India,” he said.

Rubio added that his visit to India, Washington's commitment to reaching a trade agreement, joint diplomatic initiatives and other areas of cooperation demonstrated the importance the United States attached to its partnership with New Delhi.

US hopes to use Pakistan ties to discourage conflict
Rubio said Washington's engagement with Islamabad had created an opportunity to discourage actions that could concern India or potentially lead to conflict.

“Pakistan is a country with which we have a relationship, and it is important that we have that relationship,” he said.

“If, in some cases, we can use our influence in a positive way to discourage actions that could potentially lead to conflict, that could produce a positive outcome,” Rubio added.

His remarks come amid India's concerns about Washington's engagement with Pakistan, particularly its contacts with the country's military leadership, as well as the broader implications of US relations with China for regional security.

Rubio's comments sought to underline Washington's position that maintaining ties with Pakistan does not require sacrificing its strategic partnership with India.

Rubio acknowledges challenges in ending Ukraine war
During his two-day visit to India, Rubio also acknowledged the difficulties involved in bringing an end to Russia's four-year-old war in Ukraine.

“The issues are quite complicated, and if this were an easy war to resolve, it would have been resolved a long time ago,” he said.

His remarks highlighted the diplomatic challenges facing Washington as it seeks to address the conflict while managing its relationships with key international partners.