India’s Diplomatic Dance with the Taliban: Strategic Calculations or Dangerous Precedent?

In a development that should send shockwaves through policymakers committed to American interests, India has taken an unprecedented step by hosting Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, for high-level talks. This marks the first such diplomatic engagement since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021 after America’s costly two-decade military presence came to an abrupt end. What Does India Gain, and What Does America Lose? This visit is not simply about bilateral relations. It represents New Delhi's strategic recalibration to counterbalance its regional adversaries—Pakistan and China—both of which have entrenched influence within Afghanistan. By opening doors to the...