Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Quotes

I do not see it as desirable for South Korea to take the back seat and watch discussions between the U.S. and China.

We should force European governments to choose between Paris and Washington.

There are nearly 200 countries and a population of over 6 billion in today's world. International affairs should be addressed by all countries through consultations rather than monopolised by a few powers.

No Western government has ever played the long-term in terms of foreign policy.

Foreign policy is all about a universe of bad decisions, imperfect decisions; every situation is different. The dynamics, the atmospherics, the people, the pressures, the geopolitical realities shift.

Of course the United States and Russia have different interests. Nevertheless, both are strategic partners.

The matter of international relations is very subtle and exquisite.

Foreign policy is consumed with momentary crises —– often created by failing states and violent groups. But in the long run, he future is shaped by winners, not noisy losers.

Every government is in some respects a problem for every other government.

Foreign policy matters cannot be intelligently decided in a large general meeting.

Multilateralism may be little more than a polite way of camouflaging what is in practice unilateralism with allies.

When the big powers are in agreement, the U. N. performs. When they aren't, the U. N. is paralyzed.

All foreign policy is the intervention of one nation's domestic politics into another nation's domestic politics.

The management of a balance of power is a permanent undertaking, not an exertion that has a foreseeable end.

Power is a necessary condition for enduring foreign-policy success but not a sufficient one.

It is the natural desire of each nation to use the other as an instrument of its own purposes and policies. By dint of our mutual dependence, your influence is amplified by our power. Our power is made more responsible and more effective by your influence.

Political and security realities have reduced the scope of American unilateralism.

So much of our foreign policy is based on other people’s weakness.

For foreign policy it is necessary to have men who inspire confidence.

I think the Sino-American relationship is the most important geo-strategic question facing us.

U.S. academics and Upper East Side New Yorkers like to think of the United Nations as a place where foreign ambassadors have intellectual discussions about power and world peace.

Putin responds to threats, to illegal sanctions, and to incessant propaganda with statements that governments need to respect each other's national interests and to work together for common benefit. No politician in the West speaks in this way.

In addition to deep divisions on issues such as trade, climate change, Middle East peace and nuclear weapons, Trump's attacks on leaders such as Trudeau and Merkel and disrespect for NATO and other institutions are prompting a reassessment by allied governments and publics.

We have to acknowledge and discuss with citizens that Germany needs to take on more responsibility. One of the questions is, 'Can we keep a functioning international order?'

Their foreign policy is so disjointed, confusing, and chaotic that, really, people need to reexamine those who want to be involved in every war.