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Economic Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Trump's staffing gaps complicate India's bid to ease US tensions
Synopsis Indian officials are finding it difficult to engage with the Trump administration due to unfilled key foreign policy roles, hindering efforts to advocate for a favorable trade deal. The absence of key personnel in the State and Defense Departments complicates India's lobbying efforts, especially after the imposition of a 25% tariff and concerns over its ties with Russia. Agencies India is finding it tough to engage with the Trump administration due to unfilled key foreign policy roles in Washington, Indian officials have struggled to engage with US President Donald Trump's administration because key foreign policy roles in Washington remain unfilled, people familiar with the matter said, making it difficult for New Delhi to effectively push for a favorable trade positions in the Department of State and the Department of Defense are vacant, which has made it harder for India to lobby its view, the people said, asking not to be identified to discuss a sensitive matter. It's become urgent for New Delhi to make its case to Washington after being unexpectedly slapped with a 25% tariff — one of the highest in the region — and facing further threats over its ties with Russia. Trump said Monday he'll increase the rate 'substantially' because of New Delhi's refusal to halt buying of Russian oil. The US says India, alongside China, is helping President Vladimir Putin fund his war against Ukraine with the oil purchases. New Delhi defended its position Monday, saying criticism from the US and European Union about the Asian nation's trade with Russia was 'unjustified and unreasonable.' It highlighted that the EU and US continue to buy energy and other materials from Russia when 'such trade is not even a national compulsion.' The steep tariff adds to already strained ties, with Trump repeatedly claiming he used trade as leverage to broker peace between India and rival Pakistan in May — an assertion New Delhi has strongly denied. One of the most critical vacancies is the Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs — a role that oversees US foreign policy and relations in the region. Although Indian-American academic Paul Kapur was nominated for the role by Trump, his appointment has yet to be confirmed. The post of US Ambassador to India — a key role in managing bilateral tensions — has remained vacant since January 2025, with career diplomats currently running the New Delhi embassy. Eric Garcetti, former President Joe Biden's representative to India, was confirmed only after a two-year delay, but strong personal ties between key officials on both sides helped bridge the gap at the time, the people Ministry of External Affairs didn't comment when contacted for further information. The US Embassy in New Delhi didn't immediately respond to an email seeking further sharp downsizing of the US National Security Council — from over 300 officials under Biden to around 50 under Trump's second term — has further compounded the challenges, the people White House pushed out scores of NSC staffers in May as officials sought to transform the council into a smaller organization focused on implementing Trump's policies instead of helping to shape them.
Japan Today
01-07-2025
- Business
- Japan Today
Bilateral frictions to overshadow Rubio meeting with Quad partners
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, 2nd left, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, far right, and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi at the State Department in Washington on Jan 21. By David Brunnstrom and Humeyra Pamuk U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosts his Australian, Indian and Japanese counterparts on Tuesday, seeking to boost efforts to counter China even as trade and other bilateral disagreements introduce friction into the relationships. The four countries, known as the Quad, share concerns about China's growing power, but their ties have been strained by President Donald Trump's global tariff offensive from which none of the Quad members have been spared. Other issues are also putting pressure on relations. Japan, the key U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific, postponed an annual ministerial meeting with the U.S. State and Defense Departments that was supposed to be held on Tuesday. Press reports said this followed U.S. pressure for it to boost defense spending further than previously requested. The Financial Times said last week the demands came from Elbridge Colby, the third-most senior Pentagon official, whom analysts say has also recently created anxiety in Australia by launching a review of the massive AUKUS project to provide that country with nuclear-powered submarines. India, meanwhile, has differed with Trump's claims that his intervention and threats to cut off trade talks averted a major conflict between India and Pakistan after militants killed Indian tourists in the disputed Kashmir region in April. Rubio hosted a meeting of Quad ministers in his first diplomatic engagement as secretary of state on January 21, the day after Trump began his second term, a move meant to underscore the importance of the Indo-Pacific region. Trump has since been distracted by issues elsewhere, including most recently the Israel-Iran conflict. Tuesday's meeting will be a chance to refocus attention on the region seen as the primary challenge for the U.S. in the future. After a joint session with Quad foreign ministers, Rubio is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Japan's Takeshi Iwaya, India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Australia's Penny Wong. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Monday the Quad partners would "reaffirm our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. "This ministerial reinforces our joint resolve to defend sovereignty, strengthen regional maritime security and build resilient supply chains," she added. Speaking at an event in New York on Monday, Jaishankar addressed U.S. ties by saying "relationships will never be free of issues," and adding: "What matters is the ability to deal with it and to keep that trend going in the positive direction." Referring to the Quad, he said there were a lot of issues that needed to be discussed in the Indo-Pacific, including maritime security, technology, pandemic preparedness and education. "I think we'll get good results," he said. NO TROPHIES In January, the Quad said officials would meet regularly to prepare for leaders' summit in India expected later this year. Arthur Sinodinos, Australia's former ambassador to Washington now with the Asia Group consultancy, said bilateral issues could overshadow the meeting, from which Washington is keen to see a greater Quad focus on security. "Australian audiences will be looking for clues on the U.S. stance on AUKUS as well as on trade," he said, adding that there also was interest in when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese would secure a first meeting with Trump. Nicholas Szechenyi, a Japan expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said U.S.-Japan ties appeared to have lost momentum since a February summit between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump. "The two leaders heralded a golden age in U.S.-Japan relations, but there are no trophies to put on the mantle at this stage," he said. "The tariff negotiations are all-consuming, and the Japanese appear exasperated by the administration's public lectures on defense spending." Richard Rossow, an India expert, also at CSIS, said Trump's approach to India on trade and security interests had been "clumsy," but the long-term strategic and commercial reasons for deeper cooperation remained largely unchanged. "So, the chances of further cooperation remain viable, even if the mood is less conducive," Rossow said, while noting the slow pace of staffing senior roles critical to managing day-to-day U.S. dealings with India, with no ambassador nominated and State and Defense department positions also unfilled. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
