Vivek Ramaswamy’s rise and the growing clout of Indian Americans in US politics Vivek Ramaswamy, one of the Republican Presidential Candidates in the 2024 Presidenti

Vivek Ramaswamy’s rise and the growing clout of Indian Americans in US politics

 Vivek Ramaswamy, one of the Republican Presidential Candidates in the 2024 Presidential election has drawn attention for several reasons. Firstly, Ramaswamy’s growing rise and visibility clearly points to the growing clout of 

 in US politics. While current US Vice President 

, is of Indian origin, one of Ramaswamy’s competitors within the Republican Party Nikki Haley also has roots in India (Nikki Haley nee Nimrat Randhawa’s parents hailed from

) during the Trump administration. Randhawa was also the first 

 of the state of South Carolina. There are currently five Indian Americans in the US House of Representatives; 

Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal and Shri Thanedar

 from the Indian American community who made it to US state legislatures earlier this year. There are several other Indians who occupy top positions in 

So far, Ramaswamy an entrepreneur – who founded Roivant sciences a pharmaceutical company in 

 and Florida Governor Ron De Santis. There is a strong probability of the 38 year old entrepreneur, of Indian origin, being Trump’s 

. Ramaswamy has already hinted at being open to the possibility of being Trump’s 

. The former US President has also said that Ramaswamy would be a good choice and while praising him 

“He (Vivek Ramaswamy) is a very, very, very intelligent person. He's got good energy, and he could be some form of something.”

If one were to examine Ramaswamy’s foreign policy views, based on his write-ups, they are in sync with that of Trump and many US realists – especially John 

 -- who believe that Washington needs to shed its interventionist foreign policy and not worsen ties with Russia. Mearsheimer has fervently been opposing the US stance on Ukraine – especially the US attempts to expand 

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

, over the past decade, and to include Ukraine in the organisation.

Vivek Ramaswamy’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Ramaswamy has said that he would block Ukraine’s candidacy for 

 and end sanctions on Russia. In exchange for these steps, Ramaswamy would expect Russia to end its 

 with China. During a Presidential debate, Ramaswamy also raised his hand when asked which presidential candidate would end military support to 

Ramaswamy’s stance has drawn strong criticism from several Republicans including 

 who said that the former has no experience. Former US Vice President, Mike Pence also criticised Vivek Ramaswamy for his 

Significantly, when current incumbent Joe Biden took over as president, it had been 

 that the US should take a nuanced approach vis-à-vis Russia and capitalize on the fault-lines between Russia and China. In an interview in 

“The Russians are part of our balancing coalition against China… what we have done with our foolish policies in Eastern Europe is drive the Russians into the arms of the Chinese. This is a violation of Balance of Power Politics 101”

There has been a strong debate within the US, for over a decade and a half, regarding whether the US should follow an interventionist policy not just in Eastern Europe, but other parts of the world including the Middle East. While Trump took an emphatic stance in favour of a less interventionist foreign policy, and often used the expression 

 to define his foreign policy approach. Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama had begun to question the merits of US being 

 outward looking. While for long there had been a bi-partisan consensus in the US regarding ‘

, or the promotion of democracy and liberal values globally, and  in recent years the pendulum has swung towards the US being more inward looking not necessarily isolationist, though this approach has drawn considerable criticism from 

. Biden after taking over as President used the slogan ‘America is back’ to suggest a more outward looking US, though it has been argued that there are many

 between the foreign policy of Trump and Biden.  

Vivek Ramaswamy’s views on key foreign policy issues

It is not just the US, several other countries would be closely following debates pertaining to foreign policy issues especially the views of Republican candidates on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and China. Ramaswamy’s views regarding Russia would be watched closely by middle powers – especially India, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia -- who have been seeking to walk a tight rope between the US and Russia. Several countries have also flagged the impact of 

 on the developing world, and this has been one of the key issues flagged at several multilateral platforms. In this context, Ramasamy’s remarks about preventing Russia from moving closer to China are important. The 38 year old Republican presidential candidate, of Indian origin, has also pitched for strengthening 

In conclusion, while the US Presidential election is over a year away and it remains to be seen which party wins but the views of Vivek Ramaswamy on complex foreign policy issues are significant and would be closely watched by many countries including India.

Vivek Ramaswamy's foreign policy approach: Key takeaways

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