https://sputnikglobe.com/20221113/sabre-rattling-and-friendshoring-failing-us-strategies-to-break-india-russia-links-1104044927.html
Sabre-Rattling and Friendshoring: Failing US Strategies to Break India-Russia Links
Sabre-Rattling and Friendshoring: Failing US Strategies to Break India-Russia Links
Sputnik International
Delhi has indicated that it does not plan to budge in its "substantial, time-tested relationship" with Russia, despite pressure from Washington. Recently... 13.11.2022, Sputnik International
2022-11-13T13:19+0000
2022-11-13T13:19+0000
2023-05-28T15:25+0000
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subrahmanyam jaishankar
narendra modi
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US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen described India as Washington’s "natural ally" during a press conference on Friday.What Yellen failed to draw attention to, however, was the US’ continuing pressure on Delhi over its relations with Moscow amid the former's special operation in Ukraine.Have Your Cake and Eat ItThe Treasury secretary arrive in Delhi on November 11 to discuss the strengthening of economic and financial bilateral ties, seeking a warm reception. Nevertheless, Washington announced the resumption of defense sales to Pakistan, India's major regional rival, prior to her visit, with a whopping $450 million package earmarked for the upkeep of F-16 fighter jets.Many consider this move to be yet another attempt to pressure India. However, international observers think that Washington has run out of options for Delhi in the current geopolitical scenario in which every country is looking towards the burgeoning Indian market for growth.Growing Indian Economic Muscle and Washington’s OverturesGlobal investment bank Morgan Stanley forecasts that India will become the third-largest economy by 2027, adding more than $400bn to its GDP every year, a scale that is only surpassed by the US and China.As a result, Russian President Vladimir Putin has noted that Delhi’s role in global affairs will grow in the days ahead and that the "future belongs to India". He also praised Indians as "talented" and "driven" with great potential to achieve outstanding results in development.As part of Washington’s efforts to maintain its ties to the increasingly strong Indian economy, the US Treasury official offered Delhi the option to join the "friendshoring" approach, a policy aimed at diversifying away from countries with geopolitical and security risks to the global supply chain. But economist and former advisor to the Indian Finance Ministry, Raghuram Rajan, has warned that the inflationary nature of "friendshoring" might harm a large population in the global south.Similarly, Yellen addressed the oil market ahead of her visit to Delhi, claiming that India stood to gain from the West's proposed price cap on Russian oil.Nevertheless, many in the Indian administration have expressed firm resistance to all the proposals or pressure tactics used by Washington in the past few days.On November 2, India’s Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri asserted that there was no "moral conflict" in purchasing discounted Russian oil, while Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, when asked in Moscow about India’s view of western pressure to limit trade ties with Russia, said that his "fundamental obligation" was to ensure that the Indian consumer had the best possible access and most advantageous terms in international markets.Meanwhile, speaking about her meeting with Yellen, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman vowed to strengthen multilateralism to address global challenges, seen as a direct rebuttal of "friendshoring" which is based on exclusivity.Antagonize India’s Ties With ChinaAnother strategy employed by Washington is to continually caution Delhi about China's "aggressive” posture at its borders, a move that security analysts see as an attempt to exploit the animosity between the two South Asian giants.Another strategy employed by Washington is to continually caution Delhi about China’s “aggressive" posture at its borders, a move that security analysts see as an attempt to exploit the animosity between the two South Asian giants.in the New Era’ in Delhi last month. During his speech, the foreign minister highlighted "Asian solidarity and a suspicion of third-party interests that emanated from other experiences."Why Russia?While Delhi is performing a delicate balancing act on the Ukrainian crisis, some accuse it of favoring Russia. But India and Russia are natural allies for various reasons that include decade-long defense ties, Harsh Vardhan Tripathi highlighted. That’s why India did not heed to White House’s warning of “significant and long-term consequences” against a “more explicit strategic alignment” with Russia.Energy has also added a new facet to the relationship as both countries aim to cross the $30 billion mark in bilateral trade this year.From April 2022 onwards, the two countries had already amassed $17 billion in bilateral trade, 170 percent higher than that of the same period last year.Delhi also believes that Russia has the capability to offset the losses caused to India with South Asia bearing the brunt of an unstable Afghanistan post-US withdrawal.India is set to participate in the "Moscow format" dialogue on Afghanistan next week.Domestic BackingThe Narendra Modi government has received widespread support from urban youth on its foreign policy line at a time of unprecedented geopolitical churning.A recent foreign policy survey conducted by India's prominent think tank ORF suggested that almost half of India’s young population consider Russia to be the most reliable partner over the last 75 years.
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india-russia relations, moscow and new delhi, putin-modi, us tries to break indo-russian friendship
india-russia relations, moscow and new delhi, putin-modi, us tries to break indo-russian friendship
Sabre-Rattling and Friendshoring: Failing US Strategies to Break India-Russia Links
13:19 GMT 13.11.2022 (Updated: 15:25 GMT 28.05.2023) Delhi has indicated that it does not plan to budge in its "substantial, time-tested relationship" with Russia, despite pressure from Washington. Recently, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow to discuss how to make relations "more durable [and] more sustainable."
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen described India as Washington’s "natural ally" during a press conference on Friday.
What Yellen failed to draw attention to, however, was the
US’ continuing pressure on Delhi over its relations with Moscow amid the former's special operation in Ukraine.
Have Your Cake and Eat It
The Treasury secretary arrive in Delhi on November 11 to discuss the strengthening of economic and financial bilateral ties, seeking a warm reception. Nevertheless, Washington announced the resumption of defense sales to Pakistan, India's major regional rival, prior to her visit, with a whopping $450 million package earmarked for the upkeep of F-16 fighter jets.
Many consider this move to be yet another attempt to pressure India. However, international observers think that Washington has run out of options for Delhi in the current geopolitical scenario in which every country is looking towards the burgeoning Indian market for growth.
"There is an attempt to put pressure on India by supporting Pakistan. America is badly defeated in Afghanistan. America, whom everyone used to consider as the world's number one power, has lost that recognition. Now, the biggest challenge for America is whether it will be able to sustain the support of Europe and Britain," Harsh Vardhan Tripathi, a senior fellow at Delhi-based Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF) told Sputnik.
"What America had to do economically, it has already done in the Donald Trump tenure," Tripathi argued, referring to Trump’s exclusion of India from US markets under the Generalized System of Preferences, the largest and oldest US trade preference program.
Growing Indian Economic Muscle and Washington’s Overtures
Global investment bank Morgan Stanley forecasts that India will become the third-largest economy by 2027, adding more than $400bn to its GDP every year, a scale that is only surpassed by the US and China.
As a result, Russian President Vladimir Putin has noted that
Delhi’s role in global affairs will grow in the days ahead and that the "future belongs to India". He also praised Indians as "talented" and "driven" with great potential to achieve outstanding results in development.
As part of Washington’s efforts to maintain its ties to the increasingly strong Indian economy, the US Treasury official offered Delhi the option to join the "friendshoring" approach, a policy aimed at diversifying away from countries with geopolitical and security risks to the global supply chain. But economist and former advisor to the Indian Finance Ministry, Raghuram Rajan, has warned that the inflationary nature of "friendshoring" might harm a large population in the global south.
Similarly, Yellen addressed the oil market ahead of her visit to Delhi, claiming that India stood to gain from the
West's proposed price cap on Russian oil.Nevertheless, many in the Indian administration have expressed firm resistance to all the proposals or pressure tactics used by Washington in the past few days.
On November 2, India’s Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri asserted that there was no "moral conflict" in purchasing discounted Russian oil, while Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, when asked in Moscow about India’s view of western pressure to limit trade ties with Russia, said that his "fundamental obligation" was to ensure that the Indian consumer had the best possible access and most advantageous terms in international markets.
Meanwhile, speaking about her meeting with Yellen, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman vowed to strengthen multilateralism to address global challenges, seen as a direct rebuttal of "friendshoring" which is based on exclusivity.
"India does not immediately see any benefit from America. Above all, the issue on which India remains sensitive is the issue of Kashmir where it can trust countries like Russia to find support at the UN," Tripathi argued.
Antagonize India’s Ties With China
Another strategy employed by Washington is to continually caution Delhi about China's "aggressive” posture at its borders, a move that security analysts see as an attempt to exploit the animosity between the two South Asian giants.
"America's proximity to India is more due to China," Tripathi claimed.
Another strategy employed by Washington is to continually caution Delhi about China’s “aggressive" posture at its borders, a move that security analysts see as an attempt to exploit the animosity between the two South Asian giants.in the New Era’ in Delhi last month. During his speech, the foreign minister highlighted "Asian solidarity and a suspicion of third-party interests that emanated from other experiences."
While Delhi is performing a delicate balancing act on the Ukrainian crisis, some accuse it of favoring Russia. But India and Russia are natural allies for various reasons that include decade-long defense ties, Harsh Vardhan Tripathi highlighted. That’s why India did not heed to White House’s warning of “significant and long-term consequences” against a “more explicit strategic alignment” with Russia.
Energy has also added a new facet to the relationship as both countries aim to cross the $30 billion mark in bilateral trade this year.
From April 2022 onwards, the two countries had already amassed $17 billion in bilateral trade, 170 percent higher than that of the same period last year.
"Due to the departure of western companies from Russia, there has been an emptiness which India seems to be filling. Russia also becomes necessary for India in terms of oil requirements," Tripathi added.
Delhi also believes that Russia has the capability to offset the losses caused to India with South Asia bearing the brunt of an unstable Afghanistan post-US withdrawal.
"It is important that the world not forget what the situation is in Afghanistan. Because, today, I think it is not getting the attention it deserves," the Indian foreign minister said in response to a question at a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week.
India is set to participate in the
"Moscow format" dialogue on Afghanistan next week.
The Narendra Modi government has received widespread support from urban youth on its foreign policy line at a time of unprecedented geopolitical churning.
A recent foreign policy survey conducted by India's prominent think tank ORF suggested that almost half of India’s young population consider Russia to be the most reliable partner over the last 75 years.
"America is and will continue to work on its strategies but now India has an upper hand in the bilateral ties. And New Delhi is not going to give up this position. There is immense pressure on the Indian government to put across the point that the country does not cower in front of anyone at any cost; not even the US," Tripathi concluded.
