New Delhi
Pushing back against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the US is reluctant to continue intervening in the ongoing diplomatic spat between India and Canada. The US government also shares New Delhi’s concerns about the “Indian diplomatic mission operating in an atmosphere of violence and intimidation” in Canada. “After External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar (EAM) met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Agency Jake Sullivan in Washington, the Biden administration announced in Ottawa “We are ‘confident’ that we could not share this with New Delhi to help kill Khalistani terrorist Harjit Singh Nijjar,” a diplomatic source told The Sunday Guardian.
“In fact, Mr. Jaishankar very convincingly and logically explained India’s position on Canada’s development during the meeting, based on facts and figures. As a result, Mr. Blinken and the US National Security Agency “We left the meeting satisfied with the results,” a person familiar with the Washington meeting told the newspaper. The tone and tenor of Mr. Blinken’s remarks had completely changed when he emerged from the meeting. “The Canadian issue was discussed in the meeting with EAM Jaishankar,” Blinken told reporters. Notably, Blinken refrained from repeatedly saying that “India should cooperate with Canada’s investigation.” This is a statement Mr. Blinken has been making since the diplomatic dispute between India and Canada erupted.
Importantly, minutes before Mr. Jaishankar met with Mr. Blinken and Mr. Sullivan in Washington, D.C., State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, “We will cooperate with Canada in its investigation.” “We continue to encourage them to do so,” he said. He had hinted that he was prepared to repeat that advice to Blinken. New Delhi officials interpreted Blinken’s statement as signaling a change in the U.S. approach to the overall issue. “It is clear that Mr. Blinken is leaving this issue to be resolved between India and Canada. “He never said anything like that,” the officials said, adding, “The Secretary of State has long encouraged the Indian government to cooperate with the investigation into the murder of a Sikh terrorist.” On Canadian soil. ”
During his meeting with Jaishankar, Blinken also graciously agreed to hold the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in New Delhi in November. “Although the date has not been announced yet, India’s foreign and defense ministers are expected to hold a 2+2 dialogue with the US foreign and defense ministers in the first half of November,” an official said. “Mr Blinken’s approval for this meeting is a positive sign that the Biden administration is prioritizing the US-India bilateral relationship amid the Canada dispute. The message here is don’t drop it,” officials said.
Nothing explains the outcome of the EAM-Blinken meeting better than Jaishankar’s own words: “The issue of Canada came up in the meeting with Blinken. He conveyed America’s views and assessments, and I explained in detail to them our concerns and our position. We both needed better information. ” This statement shows that EAM Jaishankar is happy with this meeting.
“Today I am actually in a situation where it is dangerous for diplomats to go to embassies and consulates. They are threatened in public. As I said earlier, countries often look very different depending on how you look at them and what interests you. I have this issue in Canada. So the question was asked, “Have I talked to Jake Sullivan and Tony Blinken about that? Yes, I have.”
EAM Jaishankar has rejected Canada’s claims as “ridiculous” and “motivated,” sources said, adding that Canada has not provided anything concrete and relevant to substantiate the allegations from Trudeau. He told Mr. Blinken that he did not provide it. Significantly, in what is seen as a diplomatic victory for India, the US State Department’s reading of Jaishankar’s meeting with Blinken also mentions the standoff between India and Canada over Nijjar’s killing. It had not been done.
Sources said Jaishankar was very frank in explaining India’s position on the Canada issue. EAM conveyed in clear terms India’s concerns that Canada’s “domestic politics have given space to extremism, terrorism, human trafficking, crime, and a toxic mix of issues and people.”
The outcome of the meeting between Mr. Blinken and Mr. Jaishankar must have disappointed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and ahead of the meeting, the United States said Mr. Blinken had raised Canada’s claims against India with Mr. Jaishankar. He reportedly said that he had promised to raise the issue. Prior to the meeting, Prime Minister Trudeau said, “The United States has also been in dialogue with the Indian government about how important it is for the United States to be involved in following up on credible allegations that Indian government agents killed Canadian citizens on Canadian territory.” ” he said.
Sources told the Sunday Guardian that Mr Jaishankar had sent a clear message to the US that Canada had become ground zero for Khalistan militants. Blinken was told that Canada remains empty-handed when it comes to evidence to support the serious accusations Trudeau has made against India. “On the US side, the Biden administration has announced that the US shares a long border with Canada, which is a safe haven for Khalistani terrorists and other extremists, and could have an impact on the country as well. We have been told that we need to remain vigilant,” the official said.
US officials were reminded of the efforts of the India-US Counterterrorism Task Force to combat terrorist proxies, cross-border terrorism, and all forms of international terrorism. At every meeting, the India-US Working Group’s joint statement urges countries to take immediate and irreversible action to ensure that territory under their control is not used for terrorist attacks. India and the US have always been committed to increasing cooperation in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, GCTF, FATF, and Quad. Indian diplomats in Washington told their partners that the United States should honor such commitments in the joint statement, the people said.
