Post by : Rameen Ariff

A recent moment between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin has triggered an unexpected debate in the United States, after a photograph of both leaders sharing a car during Putin’s visit to India reached the halls of the US Congress. What appeared in India as a gesture of warmth between the two leaders has been interpreted by American lawmakers as a warning about the shifting balance in US-India relations.

During a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, Democratic Ranking Member Sydney Kamlager-Dove held up the photograph of PM Modi and Putin sitting together in the same car and argued that the United States, not India, was responsible for weakening the partnership. She said that President Donald Trump’s increasing tariffs and his confrontational approach were pushing India closer to Russia.

According to her, Washington’s “coercive” stance was eroding years of strategic trust. She described Trump’s policies as “cutting off our nose to spite our face,” and added that the damage to US-India relations could be long-lasting. Pointing to the poster-sized image beside her, she remarked that the photograph “was worth a thousand words,” symbolising how US pressure might be driving India toward other global powers.

The hearing highlighted growing tension around Trump’s decisions on India, including the 25 percent “Liberation Day tariff” and an additional 25 percent levy on India’s imports of Russian oil. Together, the tariffs have created a burden of nearly 50 percent on Indian goods, making India’s tariff rate higher than China’s. Lawmakers called the policy self-defeating and warned that such steps could undermine one of America’s most valuable partnerships.

Another point of concern raised by Democrats was the sharp increase in H-1B visa fees. A new $100,000 charge was described as a direct hit to Indian professionals, who make up nearly 70 percent of H-1B visa holders in the US. They argued that the fee was an attack on the strong people-to-people relationship that has formed a cultural and economic bridge between the two countries.

The hearing also examined the broader geopolitical impact. Experts testified that the deepening India-Russia relationship, highlighted by PM Modi personally receiving Putin at the airport and sharing a car ride with him, shows how global alignments can shift if trust between Washington and New Delhi weakens. Witnesses said the partnership between India and the US has long been a “low-cost, high-benefit” arrangement for Washington, especially in countering China and strengthening global supply chains.

During Putin’s two-day visit, PM Modi welcomed him at the airport and rode with him to the Prime Minister’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, a gesture seen as a sign of close personal rapport. The last time both leaders shared a car was during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in China, where they travelled in a Russian-made Aurus sedan. Such moments reaffirm the strong ties between India and Russia, even as global politics continue to shift.

Lawmakers and analysts at the hearing agreed that tariffs and rising tensions have become one of the most politically sensitive issues in the US-India relationship. They warned that if the trend continues, it could overshadow long-term priorities such as technological cooperation, defence partnerships, and regional stability.

As discussions continue in Washington, one message from the hearing stood out — if the US does not adjust its approach, it risks creating distance with one of its most important strategic partners. For many in Congress, the photograph of PM Modi and Vladimir Putin riding together has become a symbol of what could happen if relations between the US and India drift further apart.

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