Top US, Russian and European diplomats traveled to India this week for separate meetings with officials in New Delhi, underscoring Moscow and Washington’s efforts to get India more involved in the international battle for Russian invasion. and the bombing of Ukraine.
Daleep Singh, National Security Adviser for International Finance, chief architect of the Biden government’s sanctions against Russia, traveled to meet with Indian government officials this week.
While there, he criticized Russian oil imports from New Delhi and its dependence on military equipment from Moscow.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Singh said the United States did not want to see a “rapid acceleration” of Russian energy imports to India, which could help Moscow at a time when the United States and European countries are either banning or seek to reduce these imports.
“The discussion I have had here is that we are ready to help India diversify its energy resources, as has been the case with defense resources for a period of time,” Singh told the Hindustan Times.
The Biden government and lawmakers on both sides have become increasingly frustrated that India is on the brink of a crackdown on Moscow.
India has abstained from all UN votes condemning Russia and has made no move to impose sanctions on the Kremlin.
Although relations between the United States and India have improved in recent years, including under the Trump administration, experts have said that India may want to maintain its cooperation with Russia – which dates back to the Cold War. War.
“There is a lot of momentum in US-India relations and I think Russia, unfortunately, now brings one of the really painful points in the relationship, that India wants to keep it at all costs,” said Derek Grossman, a senior RAND defense analyst. Corporation.
Donald Lu, the top State Department official who has focused on U.S. relations with India, told lawmakers earlier this month that officials have waged a “battle” to persuade New Delhi to condemn Russia more harshly and consider whether sanctions imposed by Congress will be imposed. Older purchase from New Delhi of a Russian S-400 missile defense system.
Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), A member of the U.S. External Action Task Force in South Asia, told The Hill in a statement that he opposes sanctions on India, but urged New Delhi to secede from Moscow.
“India remains a critical partner in the Quad Security Dialogue as they work with the United States to combat China in Asia and around the world,” Young said. “I hope this will be the moment when India realizes the responsibility that its long-standing defense relationship with Russia means for its future security.”
Grossman also expressed doubts that the government would impose sanctions on India.
“A democracy that endorses another democracy is not really a good thing,” he said.
India considers itself capable of maintaining a policy of non-alignment, said Donald Kamp, who has served for nearly two decades as a senior foreign service officer in East and South Asia and focuses on US and Indian Center for Strategy and International Studies.
“My impression is that India is not opposed to being left alone if needed,” he said.
“India is a very proud nation and is aware of its independence and has always talked about it – they use the phrase ‘strategic autonomy’. In other words, they are not going to speak to them without a position, if they believe that it is in their national interest “.
Former Indian Foreign Minister and former ambassador to China and US Nirupama Rao wrote on Twitter on Saturday that “our relations with the West are important to us, but the pressure we consider irrational can not work.”
But India’s position on Russia has become a much bigger bet diplomatically given Russia’s aggression.
“If this conflict continues to escalate and sanctions intensify, it becomes increasingly inconvenient for India to follow this fine line,” Dum said.
The US is not, of course, the only country trying to put pressure on India.
Singh’s trip is overshadowed by a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Also this week in New Delhi were British Foreign Secretary Liz Trass and a senior German Chancellor’s senior security and foreign policy adviser, Jens Plotner.
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Lavrov, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for a two-day summit with Indian officials, is in charge of securing Russian oil imports to India, overturning international trade in rubles and rupees.
The importance of the relationship is crucial for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who insists the Russians are not isolated.
“It makes it much easier for Putin to argue that the invasion of Ukraine did not lead to international isolation,” Dum said.
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