Home Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF
A red carpet for Modi in the US but both sides must set realistic expectations
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The frenetic bilateral exchanges of recent months have imparted a new stimulus to the India-US relationship, somewhat similar to that imparted by the nuclear deal of 2008. These giant strides stem from a convergence of strategic interests. But the ob

June 23, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, US, Article, India, US, Modi Visit, India US ties
India-US relations: Rescuing reality from expectations
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

While wanting US technological and security support to facilitate its rise, India does not acknowledge reciprocal obligations, even on a common challenge like China. Writing in the US journal Foreign Affairs (‘America’s bad bet on India’), A

June 01, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, India, USA Indo, US Ties
Of democracy, impunity and autocracy
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Sanctions do not have a place in international law, except with UN approval. But they have become commonplace weapons in the diplomatic armoury of countries. The social media age craves competition, comparison and instant verdicts on trends within

April 28, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, democracy, autocracy
Russia's Approach to Afghanistan
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Developments in Afghanistan have always aroused Russian minds. In the words of Amb Raghavan, since the eighteenth century, Russia's strategic planning has been driven by the search for secure borders, buffer zones and warm waters. To further understa

April 21, 2023 Neighbourhood Studies, Afghanistan, Russia, Developments in Afghanistan, Podcast
Pentagon Leaks: The real embarrassment for US is that the leaks occurred, not their content
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The episode raises serious questions about how the Pentagon deals with classified documents. Meanwhile, the US will be relieved that bilateral relationships didn’t take a hit and that the leaks don’t alter the fundamental reality of the Ukraine w

April 14, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, US, Article, US, World, Opinion, Pentagon, Pentagon leaks
War and peace in Ukraine one year on
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

Russia, Ukraine and NATO are locked into inflexible positions that do not permit compromise sans loss of face. Four days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, US President Joe Biden undertook an arduous journey to the war

February 24, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Russia, Article, Russia, War, Ukraine, Russian invasion
One year of Russia’s war on Ukraine: A war of attrition, with no exit options in sight
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

No one has a clear definition of victory or end goals. The Western bloc is enthusiastically pursuing sanctions against Russia for the moment but countries like India have wisely chosen to prioritise its own economic needs The Russia-Ukraine war is

February 24, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Russia, Article, Russia, Politics, Ukraine, World, Vladimir Putin, Russia-Ukraine War, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
From the Global South to G20, with despair and concern
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

India at 75 is not what it was during the Cold War, striving to preserve autonomy of national action between two hostile politico-military blocs. Those blocs are gone. At the World Economic Forum in Davos recently, captains of industry and helmspe

January 29, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, World economic forum, WEF
Geopolitical mires of 2022 and the way forward for India
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The challenge for India and other developing nations is to find an optimal adjustment to a segmented globalisation. 2022 revealed some interesting truths about today’s world order. As the dominant superpower confronts the challenge from an aspir

January 05, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy, Article, India, Globalisation, economic welfare, industrialised societies
The world according to Washington
Amb P S Raghavan, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

US’ drive for a global order in economy and trade comes up against China’s economic interlinkages with the West. At his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Bali, US President Joe Biden told him that the United States will compe

December 15, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy, US, China, Article, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Chinese President
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