The meeting between external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and US secretary of state Marco Rubio in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting on Wednesday was a significant one that could guide Indo-US relations in the near term.
Mr Jaishankar reportedly raised India’s concerns about the new US law, which levies tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries having economic dealings with Russia and Iran, and explained India’s economic compulsions. Mr Rubio emphasised the strategic partnership and coordination on regional priorities.
While Washington sees sanctions as a means of advancing its objectives in two conflicts, New Delhi’s relations with Russia are guided by its own energy security, longstanding defence ties and the costs borne by Indian households and industry.
Though India wants the war between Russia and Ukraine to end and West Asia to return to normalcy, it cannot end its exceptionally stable and dependable relationship with Russia, which has lasted more than six decades. Yet, prodded by US interlocutors since the early 2000s, successive governments in New Delhi have taken steps to reduce their dependence on Russia in the belief that the United States would be India’s natural and strategic partner.
However, the Trump administration’s decision to impose a penal tariff on India for its Russian oil purchases, while turning a blind eye to China, Moscow’s largest trading partner, has shattered New Delhi’s trust in Washington. Trump’s dalliance with Pakistan’s Army chief and equating Islamabad with India are insults that New Delhi cannot accept.
The Trump administration, which is dominated by billionaires from the old economy, may find China attractive. But its members should not forget that India is not a pushover. It accounts for one-sixth of the world’s population. It is one of the top three markets for US consumer technology companies and a key source of technology talent. Fraying India-US ties may hurt New Delhi more, but it will not be without consequences for Washington either.
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