 "‘Liberal rules-based order needs a shake up:’ Jaishankar’s candid take on new world order, Trump and Russia")
India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar recently offered his unfiltered take on shifting global world order in an interview with Financial Times. This conversation came in the backdrop of Jaishankar’s recent grand diplomatic tour to Western capitals, giving him an opportunity to witness first-hand how the return of President Donald Trump has sent shockwaves across American allies.
Jaishankar, who has now become India’s longest-serving foreign minister since the independence leader Jawaharlal Nehru, batted for a new world order, saying the “liberal rules-based order” is biased and needs a shake-up.
New world order
The top Indian diplomat said the world order would become “very anarchic” if not changed.
He told FT that “unrestrained competition” would add pressure and that India needs a system that reflects the world “as it is now,” rather than the post-World War II order that favoured the West. He also argued that the virtues of the old-world order are often exaggerated.
India-US relations
Trump’s arrival has upended geopolitical equations around the world but Jaishankar believes the US leader is also a “realist”.
Even as India and US are expected to deepen their strategic ties in coming years, President Trump is often seen bashing India as world’s largest tariff abuser.
When asked how will New Delhi navigate this relationship, Jaishankar assured that the two nations will soon strike a trade deal.
He added that While Jaishankar was a strong nationalist, he was also “realist about many parts of the world.”
Russia
During the interview, Jaishankar made clear India won’t scale back ties with Moscow owing to its own perspective.
India’s position on Russia’s conflict with Ukraine has frustrated the West. Despite pressure, New Delhi continues to buy oil from Moscow and has avoided directly condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. Jaishankar defended this stance, stating that India has its own perspective and cannot simply abandon its long-standing ties with Russia.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsTies with China
On China, Jaishankar said that you can’t have bad border and good relations at the same time.
On growing ties between China and Russia, Jaishankar said ties between New Delhi and Moscow remained “steady”.
Jaishankar admitted that relations with Beijing “haven’t gone so well” due to ongoing border clashes between the two nations’ armies.
He also stated that India is prepared with its own strategy if Trump ends up striking a deal with China.
Jaishankar also talked about his journey as a politician following a career as a diplomat and said joining PM Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not an issue at all for him.
He added he was “very comfortable” with the policies of the BJP government.
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