India will station maritime patrol aircraft in Australia amid ongoing concerns of hostility in the Indo-Pacific region, a move that comes as part of a larger package that will see the Australian government commit around AU$200 million (US$147 million) into developing the relationship. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met virtually on March 21, where they discussed closer ties across sectors such as trade, clean technology, space, culture, defence, and the Indo-Pacific. While the Australian prime minister did not express the need for both nations to hold “Russia to account” for the invasion of Ukraine—according to a statement released after the meeting—he instead settled with increased “cooperation between like-minded liberal democracies” in the Indo-Pacific region. Unlike its fellow Quad nations (the United States, Japan, and Australia), India has been reluctant to condemn Russia for its actions in Ukraine amid extensive ties dating back to the …