2+2 = counter china moscow is a point of difference but new delhi washington both know the bigger threat is beijing

2+2 = counter china moscow is a point of difference but new delhi washington both know the bigger threat is beijing

The virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden hours before the fourth India-US 2+2 dialogue reiterated the importance of the overall strategic partnership. This is significant because the two sides remain apart on the Ukraine war and Russia. While Washington continues to insist that it isn’t in New Delhi’s interest to increase energy imports from Moscow, New Delhi has steadfastly stuck to its position of strategic autonomy with the aim of divorcing the politics around the conflict from the horrors of the war itself.

This saw Modi unilaterally raise the Bucha killings and condemn them without assigning blame to anyone. However, there is also no denying that India’s position on the war has been evolving. Its last abstention on the UNGA vote to expel Russia from the UNHRC actually favoured the US resolution. Plus, India has dispatched humanitarian aid to Ukraine and is preparing to do more in this regard at Kyiv’s request. Besides, India’s ties with Russia cannot be amended overnight. This is akin to Europe’s energy dependence on Russia that continues despite several EU nations promising a drawdown.

That said, India and the US have no choice but to work together. Russia’s actions in Ukraine have not only put India in a tight spot but also ensured that Moscow will be Beijing’s junior partner for the foreseeable future. And given that a revisionist China is the biggest threat to the rules-based international order and India’s territorial sovereignty, New Delhi’s and Washington’s interests clearly align. In fact, China’s diplomatic support for Russia at the UN has raised suspicion that Beijing plans to use Moscow to further its strategic agenda in the Indo-Pacific once the Ukraine crisis blows over.

In this context, it’s welcome that the 2+2 dialogue showed understanding of each other’s positions with US secretary of state Antony Blinken recognising that India’s ties with Russia developed at a time when Washington wasn’t able to partner New Delhi. Crucially, Blinken added that Washington had not made a determination to apply CAATSA sanctions on New Delhi for purchase of Russian arms. If India-US ties are to amplify it would require Americans to do more in terms of defence technology transfers. The two sides have now signed a bilateral space situational awareness arrangement and are deepening cooperation in cyberspace. Coupled with the 2+2 joint statement calling on Pakistan to not allow its territory for terrorism, the points of convergence are growing. The world’s two largest democracies ought to be natural partners in upholding the global order.