Sergio Gor, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to India has, in his confirmatory hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, acknowledged “hiccups” in bilateral relations but said that Washington and New Delhi are on track to resolve issues that have strained ties over the past few months. Gor appeared upbeat about the relationship, saying the two countries are “not far apart” on trade and tariff issues and that President Donald Trump has invited the Indian commerce minister to Washington for a meeting with US trade representative Jamieson Greer.

Gor’s remarks came after positive exchanges on social media between Trump and Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. On Wednesday, PM Modi, in response to President Trump’s remarks that he was looking forward to speaking with “my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi” and that the two countries were “continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers…” , said Indian and US teams are working to conclude discussions on a trade deal that will unlock the potential of the bilateral partnership. Goyal’s subsequent statement that the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement is set to be finalised by November needs to be read against this backdrop. All of these point to a thaw in bilateral relations after a period when Trump personally targeted New Delhi numerous times over its purchases of Russian energy and defence hardware and accused India of helping sustain Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Even when key figures in the US administration targeted India over Russian oil purchases, New Delhi and Washington maintained contacts under several institutionalised arrangements, such as the 2+2 mechanism that brings together the defence and foreign ministries of the two sides, and visits of Congressional delegations. A US delegation is expected in New Delhi next week for discussions on selling India six more long-range surveillance aircraft in a deal expected to be worth billions of dollars. This is part of India’s efforts to keep key aspects of the bilateral relationship built over the past two decades moving forward.

There is little doubt that Modi’s recent visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and his engagements with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are factors that would have weighed with those in Trump’s inner circle. This was a signal that India would retain its strategic autonomy and focus on protecting its national interests at a time when Trump’s trade policies have roiled the global economy. But India also displayed restraint in not responding to every statement from members of Trump’s cabinet, ensuring that the exchange did not descend into a slanging match. Still, as it re-engages with the Trump administration, India should be cautious in not plugging into the binary framework that Washington now seems to offer — with the US and against China and Russia. India has rightly stood its ground on its national interests and persisted with multipolarity in Asia and on the global stage in its foreign policy. Russia is a legacy ally and an important source for energy. China is an immediate neighbour and central to India’s growth plans as a major supplier of goods despite the shadow cast by the unresolved border dispute and Beijing’s increasingly assertive behaviour in the region. At a time of major global churn, New Delhi must stick to its policy of strategic neutrality and steer clear of invites to join camps while focusing on measures that protect its interests.