Former Australian Prime Minister and Asia Society Global President and CEO Kevin Rudd has said India remains in a relatively strong position in its ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, despite differences over tariffs and market access. In an interview with NDTV, Rudd said US President Donald Trump has an “extraordinarily positive” view of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which he described as an important advantage for New Delhi in the negotiations.
Rudd, who recently completed his tenure as Australia's ambassador to the United States, said the discussions between India and the Trump administration remain active and that the final outcome would ultimately depend on a political decision by the two leaders. He said negotiators would continue to push their respective positions, but the broader relationship between Modi and Trump could play an important role when the two sides seek to resolve outstanding issues.
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Rudd backed India's efforts to encourage diplomacy between Moscow and Kyiv. He said Prime Minister Modi was right to raise the issue directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin and argued that Putin's willingness to pursue a diplomatic settlement would be central to ending the conflict. Rudd also praised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's engagement with Russia, Ukraine and other countries, while stressing that any lasting peace would require credible security guarantees for Ukraine beyond an immediate ceasefire.
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Rudd also discussed the situation in the Middle East, including tensions involving the United States and Iran and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. He described the conflict as difficult and potentially prolonged, saying diplomacy remained the most realistic route towards a resolution. On the Quad grouping of India, the US, Australia and Japan, Rudd rejected suggestions that it had lost importance for Washington, pointing to continued cooperation in maritime surveillance, defence, critical minerals and rare earths.
On India-Australia relations, Rudd said bilateral ties were continuing to strengthen, with trade reaching around A$50 billion and combined investments at approximately A$75 billion. He identified trade, investment, technology, uranium and critical minerals as key areas for future cooperation and praised the working relationship between Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He also said positive sentiment towards India extends across Australia's political establishment and wider public.
The former Australian prime minister also addressed the recent Flydubai cockpit incident, saying the response demonstrated the importance of aviation safety and security while warning against complacency over terrorism. On China-US relations, he said strategic competition between Washington and Beijing remained intense across military, economic and technological areas, with both sides increasingly focused on managing that rivalry rather than ending it. Rudd identified artificial intelligence as a major future area of competition, while his broader assessment placed India at the intersection of its partnerships with the US and Australia, its diplomatic engagement on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its strategic relationship with China.
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