US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and India’s Minister of External Affairs S.Jaishankar chose to embrace the bigger picture and offered an upbeat note on bilateral relations despite broadcasting differences, some of which, notably, Ukraineseems to have shrunk.
Blinken repeatedly praises Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s advice to the President Putin that “now is not the age of war” while welcoming India’s commitment to the UN charter, a tacit condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Jaishankar for its part points out that India is playing a quiet, behind-the-scenes role in helping to defuse the crisis, particularly regarding the disruption of food, fuel and fertilizer supplies – partly at the request of Ukraine and the Secretary-General of the United Nations – is having a major impact on the global south.
However, Jaishankar strongly rejected questions about New Delhi’s continued purchase of energy and defense from Russia, saying “we make a choice that we believe is in our national interest.” .” Rejecting largely Western predictions that India is having problems with Russian equipment, he said New Delhi currently has a tradition of multi-sourcing. “Over the past 15 years, we’ve been shopping a lot from US-19s, P8s, Apaches, Chinooks, Howitzers, etc. for us, it’s a question of how to get an optimal deal from the vendors. competitors,” he said.
For its part, Blinken dismissed criticism from Indian authorities, including gibes from Jaishankar from other platforms, about the F-16’s latest transaction with Pakistan, explaining that it was a show maintains the jets that Washington has provided to Pakistan and is intended for counterterrorism purposes. activities.
“These are not new planes….we have the responsibility and obligation to maintain and maintain the planes that have been provided. It will strengthen Pakistan’s anti-terror capabilities, which are inherently good. can benefit all of us.” he still asserted, while not responding to specific Indian criticisms that the F-16 has no role in counterterrorism and is being used against India.
In fact, in a speech at a separate forum on Monday, Jaishankar largely disparaged Washington over supplying arms to Pakistan, saying it did nothing to help Pakistan and the US. Incidentally, Pakistani foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was also in Washington DC and held talks with Blinken on Monday, where Pakistan is said to have been advised by the US delegation to stabilize relations with India.
But the F-16 and Russia have barely created a rift in US-India relations, a prospect that Jaishankar says he is “optimistic”. “No country has the greater ability, opportunity and responsibility to shape the future. We are thinking together and working together. That doesn’t mean we don’t have differences. .. we have …. but we have the depth and quality Blinken said.
