Hard-nosed diplomats and thick-skinned politicians can see it for what it is. Public opinion is fickle and still deeply suspicious of the United States. With serial summits and the China threat, a thin crust of trust was just forming. It can crack as people see this as ‘old-style US perfidy.’
As the geopolitical landscape shifts, the trust in US alliances is increasingly scrutinized, especially in light of recent events that have tested the resilience of international partnerships.
US spying has exposed geostrategic inequalities. It will test India’s trust in Quad
The Americans spied on a fellow Quad member and tipped off Canada, an old Five Eyes ally. It wakes India up to the harsh geostrategic inequalities for a non-treaty ‘ally.’ Trust within a still new Quad alliance will be frayed as New Delhi takes a deep breath and resets expectations.