A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin sharing a car has become a focal point in the US Congress, highlighting concerns about the trajectory of US-India relations under the Trump administration. During a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on the US-India Strategic Partnership, Democratic Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove used the image as a stark visual to warn of the deteriorating relationship between the two countries.

Kamlager-Dove asserted that the Trump administration's "confrontational" trade policies are significantly undermining the strategic partnership between the United States and India. She argued that instead of India weakening the partnership, it was the United States that pushed New Delhi closer to Moscow. By gesturing to the Modi-Putin poster, she declared, "Being a coercive partner has a cost, and this poster is worth a thousand words".

The specific points of contention are Trump's tariffs on India, including the 25% "Liberation Day tariffs," compounded by an additional 25% levy on India's imports of Russian oil, resulting in a cumulative 50% tariff burden. Kamlager-Dove pointed out the counterintuitive nature of this policy, noting that "The tariff rate on India is currently higher than the tariff rate on China".

The photograph in question was taken during President Putin's recent visit to Delhi. PM Modi personally welcomed Putin at the airport, and the two leaders shared a car to the Prime Minister's residence, a gesture widely interpreted as a sign of their close personal rapport.

Kamlager-Dove didn't hold back in her criticism, stating that the Biden administration had handed Trump "a bilateral relationship at the height of its strength... only for it to be 'flush, flush, flush down the toilet'". She accused Trump of squandering the capital that Americans had built over decades in service of personal grievances and at the expense of national interests. She cautioned that "Unless he changes course, Trump will be the American president who lost India".

Other Democratic representatives echoed these concerns, questioning the recent restrictions placed on legal immigration, including H-1B visas. These restrictions are predicted to affect the flow of Indian labor into the United States.

The Congresswoman highlighted the foundational importance of the US-India relationship to America's position in emerging sectors, spanning from defense and energy to AI, space, and advanced technologies. She emphasized that the US relationship with India will be defining for both countries in how they place themselves in the 21st-century world order and working through the Quad helps maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Despite the criticism, it's worth noting that India entered 2025 with optimism regarding a second Trump presidency. Public opinion in India was more positive about Trump's return to the White House compared to many other American partner and ally countries. However, since then, the United States has dramatically increased tariffs on India, specifically targeting Indian oil purchases from Russia. Trump has also claimed a central role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025, a claim that India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has refuted.

These developments have strained India–US relations, testing India's strategic autonomy. While the US remains a key trade, technology, and defense partner for India, Trump's policies have fueled Indian efforts to strengthen domestic demand and diversify its export markets.