Quad foreign ministers fight for relevance in New Delhi as leaders’ summit remains elusive

The foreign ministers of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, nations gathered in New Delhi on Tuesday in a coordinated display of unity aimed at reaffirming the bloc’s relevance amid recent shifts in geopolitical dynamics.The Quad, comprising the United States, Japan, Australia and India, aims to promote a “free and open” Indo-Pacific and balance China’s expanding influence in the strategically vital region.With US President Donald Trump fresh from talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, raising questions over Washington’s long-term regional commitment, and with no Quad leaders’ summit held since 2024, the ministers tried to project the message that the four-nation partnership remains active and important.But the leadership uncertainty was reflected in the joint statement, which said the partners merely “look forward to the convening of the Quad Leaders’ Summit” without specifying when or where it would take place. India was essentially unable to host a leaders’ summit after Trump declined to travel without a US-India trade deal, and Australia is set to take over as chair next.“The foreign ministers wrapped up their meeting in just over an hour without announcing a summit,” Brahma Chellaney, an Indian international affairs expert, said on social media, observing that “without the political weight of a leaders’ summit, the Quad risks losing its strategic coherence and punch.”Seeking to dispel doubts about the alliance’s momentum, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio touted strong American backing at a joint press conference.