External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar challenged the “benefits” of the US-Pakistan relationship and said that Washington’s relationships with Islamabad hadn’t been in the “American interest” anterior to his session with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
On Sunday in Washington, he spoke at a reception hosted by the Indian American community. The questions were addressed in response to a question from the audience questioning the recent US decision to reverse a Trump administration determination and grant a $450 million support package for Pakistan’s fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft.
Jaishankar responded to the US claim that the program was aimed at preventing terrorist attacks by saying that everyone was privy to the whereabouts and objective of F-16 use. He said, “You’re not fooling individuals when you say these things.
The US Government had asserted that the decision was connected to its defence partnership with Islamabad, which was focused heavily on counterterrorism, rather than being designed as a message to India. The defence minister has already expressed discontent with Washington’s selection of his American counterpart.
According to Jaishankar, the USA’s relationship with Pakistan “has not benefitted” any of the two states. “In all candour, neither Pakistan nor American interests have benefited tremendously from this alliance. Therefore, the United States must consider the benefits of this cooperation and what they get from it today, “added he.
Jaishankar stated India’s dependence on Russian defence expertise and the close defence ties with Kremlin in yet another warning to the US.
There was no US defence technology for India from 1965 forward, notably for the next 40 years. The connection between India, the Soviet Union, and Russia strengthened during this time; he added: “This was not the consequence of India not trying. I can certainly attest to that.
The nuclear agreement eliminated a significant barrier to progress, which truly set the transformation in motion. However, for the relationship to advance to a new level, there needs to be unwavering leadership in India. “To clap, you need two hands. Not only were there issues on the American side, but there were also issues on the Indian side, the man claimed.
Therefore, we must also confront the institutions from our perspective. I believe that right now, the relationship is quite strong.
We participate in some of our largest drills with the American military. The minister stated that the C-17 is one of the American warplanes we fly today. On Tuesday, Blinken will throw dinner in Jaishankar’s honour and have an official interaction with him.
