Unpacking the Big Takeaways From India-United States 2+2 Dialogues

While US in its public statements named Russia and slammed its actions in Ukraine, India—unsurprisingly— did not.

In the backdrop of big geopolitical developments in Ukraine, the United States and India held their fourth 2+2 dialogue on 12 April in Washington DC.

These focused discussions between two countries' foreign and defence counterparts have become a regular affair since the inaugural dialogue in 2018. However, Tuesday became noteworthy since it was also preceded by a surprise Biden-Modi virtual summit, signalling that the talks were being guided from the top.

As in previous dialogues, the usual elephants were in the room: China’s growing presence in trade, India’s defence ambitions and trade, and the issue of human rights violations which the US has brought forward in almost every official diplomatic meeting. However, the new entrant – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was one of the main pivot points for the meeting.

While the US in its public statements named Russia and slammed its actions in Ukraine, India – unsurprisingly – did not. Ever since the start of the invasion, India has maintained neutrality in the crisis and has not publicly named or condemned Russia for its actions.

Though the US through its statements has indicated that it understands India’s stance on the issue, the big question is – how long will the US continue to accommodate this stance? Do these talks signal where the India-US relations are headed?

To discuss the big takeaways from the India-US 2+2, joining me today is Vivek Mishra, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation.