While acknowledging that the Washington and New Delhi have clear differences in their perspectives on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that the United States is playing the “long game” with India, the two countries are engaged in a “deep, respectful and strategic” dialogue, and there is “much more convergence” on how to deal with the strategic challenge posed by China.
Speaking at the Centre for a New American Security in Washington DC, when asked about India’s stance on Russia, its refusal to participate in the US efforts against the invasion, and how this has affected ties, Sullivan admitted that there are differences. But, he said, the US respects India’s sovereign right to take its own decisions
“It is certainly a difference in perspective that we have to be direct with our Indian counterparts about — how we view the situation, how we would encourage them to over time take a different perspective themselves. But they are a sovereign, democratic nation. They will make their own decisions. We are not here to lecture them or insist on a certain outcome or else,” he said.
US also places the different relationships the two countries share with Moscow in a historical perspective, he said, emphasising that the dialogue with India is not meant to make demands on New Delhi or force it to change but slowly find ways to lead towards better outcomes.
“We have different historical perspectives, different muscle memories. But we feel confident that the dialogue we have going with India right now will bear fruit over time in a way that is not about forcing them to change or demanding things of them, but rather is a kind of an iterative approach in a strategic relationship that, tended well, will lead to better outcomes.”
Sullivan then went on to talk about the “deep, respectful and strategic” dialogue with India, right from the level of President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“We are playing a long game here. We are investing in a relationship that we are not going to judge by one issue, even if that issue is quite consequential, but rather that we are going to judge over the fullness of time, as we to try to work to convergence on the major strategic questions facing our two countries”.
“On one of those questions, how to deal with the challenge posed by China, there is much more convergence today and that is important to US foreign policy,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan is President Biden’s top aide on national security, and is widely seen as having driven the administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy from his perch at the National Security Council. His comments come, not only, in the wake of differences between India and the US over Ukraine, but also against the backdrop of intensified engagement between the two countries, both under the bilateral and Quad format, in recent months. Both Delhi and Washington have made a conscious effort, at the level of governments, to manage differences on Ukraine while deepening cooperation in other areas.
During his visit to Washington in April, external affairs minister S Jaishankar met Sullivan.
Sullivan was also a part of the video call between Biden and Modi that kicked off the 2+2 dialogue. He also participated in Biden’s bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi in Tokyo, as well as in the Quad deliberations.
Sullivan is also the US administration’s key point of contact with China and recently met top Chinese official, Yang Jiechi, for four and a half hours in Luxembourg. All of this, no doubt, makes him one of the most authoritative voices on US strategy and policy, including when it comes to on India.
