The United States is pushing forward with its plans for greater defense cooperation with India. U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis visited New Delhi on Sept. 26 for talks with his Indian counterpart, Nirmala Sitharaman. The talks covered several topics, including strategies to ramp up Indian economic engagement in Afghanistan as a part of U.S. President Donald Trump's South Asia strategy. The biggest regional provider of foreign aid to Afghanistan, India has lavished some $3 billion in development funding on the warring nation since the conflict started in 2001. India's goal is to use aid to shape Afghanistan into a country that won't bend to the whims of its nuclear archrival , Pakistan. Still, there are some lines New Delhi won't cross. Sitharaman confirmed that India would not send any troops to Afghanistan.