India has been criticized by Western powers for not taking a hard line against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the UK is hoping for clear messages from the Monti government about its opposition to the invasion and its support for the UN Charter. US President Joe Biden recently described the position of the Indians as “shaky”. Tras will sign a joint strategic cyber partnership with India and sees this as a sign of the two countries’ willingness to increase security co-operation. India is heavily dependent on Russia for arms purchases, and Lavrov reportedly wants to persuade India to increase its discount on Russian oil. Talks with Lavrov could also include setting up a rupee-payment mechanism for bilateral trade between India and Russia, a means of avoiding US sanctions. As part of what is being described as a diplomatic push against Russia, Tras will meet with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmaniam Jaisankar. He emphasized the need to focus on Russia, and said that it was even more important now with the crisis over democracy. India, stressing its non-aligned status, abstained from the UN General Assembly in a key vote condemning the Russian invasion. The State Department said Tras wanted progress in talks on developing defense-related trade, including innovative security technology, by strengthening defense ties with the world’s largest democracy. Prior to her arrival, Tra said: “The deeper ties between Britain and India will enhance security in the Indo-Pacific and globally and create jobs and opportunities in both countries. “This is even more important in the context of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and underscores the need for free democracies to work more closely together in areas such as defense, trade and cybersecurity.” “India is an economic and technological power, the largest democracy in the world and a great friend of Britain, and I want to build an even closer relationship between our two nations.” The UK and India will also agree on closer maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The United Kingdom will participate in the Indo-Pacific Initiative of India and become a key partner in maritime security, coordinating work with key partners in Southeast Asia. Strengthening ties with India has been a priority for Truss since taking office. This is her second visit as Foreign Minister and her third as Foreign Minister in 13 months: she also visited as Minister of Commerce. He argues that the current volatility in oil and gas prices and energy security concerns as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine show the need not to buy more Russian oil, but rather the importance of India’s green transition. and moves towards energy self-sufficiency that British technology can accelerate.
