More than anything else, I’m here to say this to the Ukrainian people: as you continue on the path to freedom, democracy, and prosperity, the United States will stand by Ukraine.
Vice President Joseph Biden
Kiev, 22 July 2009
Indian and Pakistani competition in Afghanistan long precedes the advent of the Hamid Karzai regime. Both states, since their emergence from the break-up of the British colonial empire in South Asia in 1947, have had ties with a range of Afghan governments. This essay will trace the origins of the Indo-Pakistani rivalry in Afghanistan, assess India’s current status and role in Afghanistan in the context of the Indo-Pakistani rivalry and discuss the implications for American policy.