In recent years, the United States has been showing favor to India, and the relationship between the two sides has entered a honeymoon period. However, the recent situation makes it seem delicate that this honeymoon period is coming to an end. India has always been known for kicking its nose in the face, and despite the United States' overtures, India has made some moves that violate the bottom line of the United States, such as hiring ** to assassinate Americans on the United States. And every country has its bottom line, especially those that are sovereign. In the eyes of the United States, India's behavior has touched the bottom line of the United States, and this may affect the direction of relations between the two countries. America's bottom line, there is no doubt about it, is its homeland security.
Whether it was the attack on Pearl Harbor in the early days of World War II or the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War, it showed that the United States was determined to maintain the security of the homeland. After the 911 incident, the United States fought to catch up and launched the war in Afghanistan. All kinds of incidents have shown that the United States regards homeland security as its life and will never tolerate any behavior that poses a threat to homeland security. Therefore, India's move to hire ** people in the United States has undoubtedly angered the United States and become a fuse. However, it is not alone in the deterioration of relations between the United States and India. India's attitude towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also a major factor.
Initially, Modi clearly sided with Israel and became the first national leader in the world to publicly condemn Hamas. However, as the conflict continues, tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israeli fire, which has sparked more concern and controversy. India, which has long called itself a "leader of developing countries", seems to have changed a bit lately. At last week's United Nations General Assembly, India voted in favour of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Palestine and Israel, which was seen as a sign of India's change of tone. In the Western world, support for Israel is seen as politically correct, while opposition is seen as an outlier.
Therefore, the change in India's position on the Palestinian-Israeli issue seems to be a "tightrope walk" in Western politics. Another thing is that the United States seems to have seen India for what it is. The United States has previously tried to prop up India as a substitute for China's role in the chain, but engagement in recent years has made them realize that the possibility of India replacing China is almost zero. This has led to doubts in the United States about whether India is worth the bet. Therefore, the honeymoon period in US-India relations can basically be declared over, and Biden even rejected Modi's invitation and released the news that he will not participate in the celebration of India's Republic Day.
The hostility between the leaders also means that the U.S.-India relationship may no longer be as "glue-like" as it once was. Without the support of the United States, India may have an even more difficult time. There is already a gap between India and the developed countries of the West, so what India needs to think about now is how to build a good relationship with China.