GOP lawmaker says India, Saudi Arabia most vital for US security interests over next decade
'If you look at the threats from China, Iran, Russia, North Korea and the unholy alliance that they have formed, Saudi Arabia and India are paramount,' said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) said at the POLITICO Security Summit.
'Saudi Arabia and India are the two countries that I think are most vital to U.S. interests over the next decade when it comes to bringing about peace and prosperity around the world,' he said.
Lawler, who has branded himself as independent, has emerged as a leading Republican voice on foreign policy issues as the party wrestles over the future of its platform on global issues in the MAGA era.
His comments offer fresh insights into how the Republican party is seeking to court rising powers in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific as a hedge against growing cooperation between China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
'We don't want India, for instance, continuing to buy weapons from Russia. We obviously want to end the illicit oil trade between China and Iran,' he said. 'We don't want Iran sending drones to Russia. There's a lot of moving parts here, but if you want stability, you need to have stronger ties with some of our partners.'
If the Republican party is grappling with internal clashes between the new MAGA right and more traditional Republicans over foreign policy issues from Ukraine to Iran, there is still widespread agreement on deepening ties with India and Saudi Arabia.
'Strengthening the economic relationships between the U.S. and those two countries, strengthening the military relationships between those two countries, is paramount,' Lawler said.
Lawler has secured a reelection endorsement from President Donald Trump, while openly clashing with other MAGA acolytes such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), showcasing how he bridges both flanks of the party. He currently sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he chairs the subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
Vice President JD Vance last month visited India to court stronger ties with the country following Trump's pledge to boost defense cooperation with India, including providing New Delhi with F-35 fighter jets. (India's Air Force emerged battered from its recent clash with neighbor and rival Pakistan, with several of its advanced fighter jets reportedly shot down.)
India has been historically nonaligned and maintained close ties with Russia, but in recent years it has boosted political and military cooperation with the United States as it grows uneasy about China's emergence as a world superpower.
Trump made Saudi Arabia his first foreign visit after reentering the White House and has announced some $600 billion in investment commitments with Saudi Arabia — including $142 billion in potential arms deals with Riyadh.
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