During a virtual press briefing on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) focus on South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region in March 2023, the United States Permanent Representative to NATO, Julian Smith, was quoted as saying that “the NATO alliance We are open to more engagement if India so seeks.” Reflecting the same sentiment, in May 2023 the US House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) included India in the group. recommended strengthening of a ‘NATO-plus’ framework by including NATO. India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar rejected the idea saying that “the NATO template does not apply to India”. On the eve of Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, Senate India Caucus co-chair Mark Warner shared his plan to introduce a bill to bring India into NATO Plus.
NATO and NATO Plus
NATO is a transatlantic military alliance of 31 countries, most of whose members are from Europe. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, many thought that NATO would lose its relevance. In contrast, NATO has not only existed but expanded, with Finland joining as its 31st member (April 2023), and Sweden waiting. NATO appears to be gaining much-needed ground for its survival, thanks to Russia’s scathing criticism and invasion of Ukraine. With the increase in NATO expansion, some analysts are also seeing the beginning of Cold War 2.0.
“NATO Plus” refers to a security arrangement between NATO and the US as members of five treaty allies – Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel and South Korea – to enhance “global defense cooperation” and win “strategic competition”. Chinese Communist Party” Interestingly, the term ‘NATO plus’ is not an officially recognized or established concept within NATO, but has been used in discussions and debates regarding a possible expansion of the alliance. Admission of these countries as members will require a complex process of negotiation and evaluation of their compatibility with NATO’s principles, obligations and defense commitments.
While NATO’s first target was the Soviet Union and now Russia, the focus of NATO Plus is clearly on containing China. Therefore, India remains the missing link in this framework, given its disputes with China.
In view of the growing regional security challenges, India joining the NATO Plus framework can provide it with a security umbrella with protection and deterrence against potential threats. India can also gain access to advanced military technologies, intelligence-sharing platforms and interoperability with other member-states. This could potentially strengthen India’s defense capabilities and modernization efforts. But this bait needs to be assessed in the larger context of India’s strategic autonomy.
First, joining any NATO framework would anger Russia and China. Apart from a strong strategic partnership, Russia has been useful to India in dealing with regional security challenges and, importantly, in containing China’s posture. Even as Russia becomes increasingly dependent on China after the war in Ukraine, Moscow remains a valuable partner for India. If he joins it, India’s strong strategic partnership with Russia will collapse in one stroke. Balancing these relationships and managing the potential geopolitical consequences will be a significant challenge for India.
Second, the threats posed by China may make it tempting to engage with the US-led coalition system, but this may ultimately prove counterproductive and detrimental. Having a military structure would limit India’s freedom of action and prevent it from adopting an independent policy towards China. Moreover, at a time when India has its own bilateral issues with China and a strategy for the Indo-Pacific, America jumping into Taiwan strategy under NATO plus will complicate India’s security, as well as further military The Chinese justification for the build-up will also likely increase – the continued incursions along the India-China border.
Third, India has traditionally maintained a policy of strategic autonomy, allowing it to engage with various countries and factions based on its interests. Joining the NATO framework would require India to align its defense and security policies with the objectives and strategies of the alliance, potentially reducing India’s autonomy. While the non-alignment policy will end soon, it may strain relations with countries, especially neighbors and regional organizations that value India’s independent stance, and its flexibility in engaging with other regional powers. can limit.
India’s priorities
India’s priorities lie in addressing its own regional dynamics which include a unique set of security challenges such as border disputes, terrorism and regional conflicts. While NATO has some capabilities to deal with such issues, its larger geopolitical agenda from Eurasia to Indo-Pacific may divert resources and attention from these important issues and hence, will not be of much help to India. For the time being, India’s approach through the Quad (India, Japan, Australia and the US; Asian NATO according to China) looks more promising than NATO plus fodder, although China remains an elephant in the room during its summits.
Shakti Prasad Srichandan is Assistant Professor at the Center for European Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University