External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said there was once a narrative in the United States that India should not have “too many options” and should focus primarily on its relationship with Washington, even as the US itself kept its options open.
He noted that this expectation existed even as the US itself continued to keep its own options open as a global power.
“Today that pretence has dropped,” Jaishankar said in New York on Monday. Reflecting on past diplomatic expectations, Jaishankar said there was a time when the US wanted India to limit its options and focus its relationship on Washington. Jaishankar said that such diplomatic pretences had now fallen away, with countries increasingly engaging openly with one another. He said the shift was part of a broader change in international relations towards a multipolar world. During the event, Jaishankar also said the United States has adopted an approach long practised by India by managing a diverse network of international partnerships simultaneously.
During the dialogue, Russel referred to the traditional American idiom about multitasking while discussing India’s foreign policy balancing act.
“Pretty much what people used to say about us, Washington is today practising with a great deal of gusto,” Jaishankar said, referring to the US dealing with China, Russia, Ukraine, other parts of Asia and Europe. “So actually, Washington was doing what India had practised,” he added. Responding to the reference, Jaishankar said, “I think that piece of gum is in pretty big supply in Washington,” pointing to the Trump administration’s efforts to navigate complex and sometimes contradictory geopolitical ties.
Speaking at an event organised by the Asia Society in New York on Monday alongside Daniel Russel, a former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Jaishankar pointed to a shift in Washington’s foreign policy approach.
