US President Joe Biden will meet with the other leaders of the so-called Quad, Australia, India and Japan. – Reuters pic
WASHINGTON, March 3 –US President Joe Biden will speak with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan today to discuss the war in Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific region, the White House said.
The meeting comes at a time of increased concern about Taiwan, a self-ruled island claimed by China, which has stepped up its alert level, wary of China taking advantage of a distracted West to move against it.
The leaders of the so-called Quad–Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Biden–would speak at 9 a.m. (1300 GMT) “to discuss the war against Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific,” the White House said in a statement.
The United States sees the Quad and its growing relations with India as essential to its efforts to push back against China in the Pacific, but it is in a delicate balancing act with New Delhi, given the latter’s long-standing ties with Russia.
Of the four Quad countries, only India has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia is the main supplier of arms to the Indian military and India faces the possibility of US sanctions for its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system.
Analysts say any moves by Russia hawks in the Biden administration to impose sanctions on India for working with Moscow could backfire and set back cooperation in the Quad.
Kurt Campbell, the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific, said on Monday that Washington remained “bullish” about its relationship with India. Read full story
“We have a deep dialogue with them on issues underway now,” he told a Washington think tank. “We understand … India’s historic, long-standing relationship with Russia, but at the same time, ultimately, we believe that India will be moving in our direction.”
Campbell said the United States would keep its focus on the Indo-Pacific despite the Ukraine crisis, although this would be difficult and expensive. He said Washington has been deeply engaged in two theaters simultaneously before, including during World War Two and the Cold War.
Japan’s NHK national broadcaster said the meeting was likely to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and verify coordination among the four partners.
India’s foreign ministry said the meeting followed a September summit of the Quad leaders in Washington and they would “exchange views and assessments about important developments in the Indo-Pacific.”
It was not immediately clear on whose request the meeting was called. None of the Quad countries had flagged it earlier.
An Australian spokesperson said the meeting would “exchange views on developments both in the Indo-Pacific region and globally.”
Quad foreign ministers met in Australia early last month and pledged to deepen cooperation to ensure the Indo-Pacific region was free from “coercion,” a veiled reference to China’s economic and military activities, and their leaders are set to hold a summit in Japan in May.
China has denounced the Quad as a Cold War construct and a clique “targeting other countries.” — Reuters