Raisina Dialogue 2026: U.S. foreign policy is to advance our national interests, says Christopher Landau

U.S. President Donald Trump wants to be the President of peace, especially since the international system hasn’t been able to achieve that, said Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at the Raisina Dialogue underway in New Delhi on Thursday (March 5, 2026)

Speaking at a curtain-raiser session of the Raisina Dialogues titled “Power, Purpose, & Partnerships: American Foreign Policy in a New Era”, Mr. Landau said, “It is an indictment of the foreign policy establishment that we haven’t found solutions to the conflicts.”

For the American government, Mr. Landau said, the purpose of foreign policy of United States was to advance the country’s national interests. “We are not a charity organisation. We are not United Nations… However, America first does not mean America alone. Just as President Trump wants to make America great again, he will expect that the PM of India and other countries want to make their countries great,” he explained.

Mr. Landau, who is leading the U.S. delegation, said the century will see rise of India. “It is in our interest, and we think it’s also India’s interest to be partnered with us,” he said, adding that he was excited about the India-U.S. trade deal, “which is almost at the finishing line now”.

However, Mr. Landau had a warning for India: the U.S. will not make the same mistakes it did with China, “where we let you develop all these markets and then let you beat us with them”.

In response to a question about the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf War, Mr. Landau said that the endgame is an Iran that is not a threat to others, one in which Iran does not have access to a nuclear weapon.

‘U.S. an alternate source for oil imports’

When asked if U.S. would allow India to buy Russian oil now that Gulf oil is constrained, Mr. Landau pitched the United States as an alternate source for oil imports. “I hope India is thinking of alternate sources, and I can’t think of a better alternate source than the United States of America, we are a energy rich country.”

Noting that the U.S. is willing to cooperate on energy, Mr. Landau added, “Obviously, you know, there’s long term and short term issues here, and we will work with you to make sure that your energy needs are met in in the short term as well as the long term.”

The Ministry of External Affairs and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) jointly hosts Raisina Dialogue, the flagship multilateral conference on geopolitics and geo-economics since 2016.