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[Text/Ruan Jiaqi, Observer Network]

India has been busy with diplomatic affairs for some time. After a series of diplomatic visits to Russia, Poland and other countries, the Indian Prime Minister and Defense Minister recently split up into two groups. One visited Ukraine for the first time after the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the other went straight to the Pentagon. This diplomatic route was called "walking on a tightrope" by the US media CNBC.

Hong Kong media South China Morning Post reported on the 24th that New Delhi maintains friendly relations with Moscow while promoting the strengthening of India-US defense relations, regarding China's influence in other regions such as the Indo-Pacific as an imaginary enemy, but "whether Washington can trust India" is still a controversial issue in the US decision-making circle. The Indian Defense Minister's statement seems to deepen this doubt.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, a day before a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday, reportedly responded to these concerns positively but did not signal any shift in New Delhi's position, still saying India welcomes closer ties with Washington but will maintain its relationship with Moscow at the same time.

"Deception is not in our nature. We can be deceived, but we can never deceive others. This is the message that should be conveyed to the whole world," Rajnath vowed.

According to Indian media such as the Hindustan Times, Rajnath made these remarks at an Indian-American gathering on Thursday. In his speech, he talked about India's honest character and emphasized that India and the United States have a strong natural alliance relationship and are "destined to become strong partners." India is committed to strengthening its strategic partnership with the United States.

"I would like to tell the Indian members working here to work with complete honesty. You should serve India wholeheartedly, but since you are working here, your dedication to the United States should not be questioned. Only in this way, people will have a good impression of Indians," he said.

Rajnath then added that only India and the United States can bring peace, prosperity and stability to the world.

"India and the United States are natural allies. We have a long history of relations," he said. "Even destiny wants the India-US relationship to be strong."

Rajnath also reportedly claimed that India's global image has changed rapidly in the past decade and it is being taken seriously in international forums, showing that the country's global status has improved.

"Indians living outside India worry about global perception of their country... But now I can confidently say that India's stature in the international community has risen. Earlier, India's opinions were not given due weight. But, today, when India speaks out at global forums, the world listens carefully," he said.

Indian media WION mentioned that Rajnath also quoted Morgan Stanley's analysis in his speech, saying that by 2027, no one can prevent India from becoming one of the world's top three economies.

After a meal to create an atmosphere, Rajnath made a harsh statement, "In the past, some of our neighbors thought they could cause trouble for India as they pleased, but India is no longer weak. We are now one of the most powerful countries in the world."

After ending his meeting with the US Defense Secretary on Friday, Rajnath posted on social media X that the two sides signed an agreement to ensure defense products and security services, and said that this would help both sides obtain the necessary resources when unexpected supply chain problems arise.

He also mentioned that the two sides also signed a memorandum of agreement on the appointment of liaison officers to strengthen defense cooperation. "The signing of the Security of Supply Agreement and the agreement to station Indian officers in key US commands are groundbreaking developments," Rajnath boasted.

The South China Morning Post pointed out that after the China-India Kalwan Valley border conflict in 2020, New Delhi and Washington have become closer in security cooperation.

Just a few months after the conflict, the United States and India reportedly signed an agreement allowing Washington to share its real-time intelligence on Chinese border troops along the Sino-Indian border. In addition, India also joined the small group organized by the United States - the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) of the United States, Japan, India and Australia.

But at the same time, the close relationship between New Delhi and Moscow is a thorn in the White House's side. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell was even upset enough to say that "India will never become a formal ally or partner of the United States."

In the past 20 years, India has purchased 65% of its weapons from Russia, with a total value of more than $60 billion. In July, the NATO summit was held in Washington, and Indian Prime Minister Modi chose this critical moment to visit Russia. A photo of him hugging Putin embarrassed the United States, which tried hard to stop him.

When talking about this, U.S. Republican Senator James Risch couldn't help scratching his head and covering his face at the hearing, calling the two people's hugging photo "a bitter pill to swallow."

This week, Modi travelled to Kiev for his first visit to Ukraine since the Russia-Ukraine conflict and declared his willingness to play a role in organising peace talks.

The United States has to change its tone due to the repeated jumps. It had previously expressed "concern" about India's visit to Russia, but this time, White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby put on an attitude of respect for other countries and replied, "Each country must decide for itself what form of diplomatic dialogue to conduct."

Reuters said that many analysts believed that Modi's brief visit to Kiev was an attempt to reduce the damage caused by his previous trip to Moscow. At the same time, as New Delhi moves closer to the West, especially the United States, the visit to Kiev is also a strategic balancing act.

Russian media "Kommersant" pointed out that Modi's visit to Kiev will make him the first foreign leader to visit Ukraine since the Ukrainian army invaded the Kursk region. Modi's new call for peace will not end the conflict, but for the Indian Prime Minister, the trip to Kiev has special significance because it shows that he is ready to take the opportunity to show the image of a world power leader against the backdrop of intensified conflicts with the opposition at home and the blow to India's image caused by the coup in neighboring Bangladesh. "He is actively working to restore and consolidate his position, playing chess on multiple chessboards at the same time."

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