Avinash Paliwal, Deputy Director, South Asia Institute, Lecturer, International Studies and Diplomacy, SOAS University of London

Great power involvement in Afghanistan has often eclipsed analysis about the enduring and often decisive regional geopolitical dynamic between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. At odds with each other over their interpretation of history, identity, interests, and the future, these South Asian states are caught in a toxic triangle. This talk unpacks key features of this relationship and explains how such regional pressures constrain the U.S.’s attempts at a negotiated exit from Afghanistan.