Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will urge the Indian government to join other democracies in condemning Vladimir Putin’s actions – with trade, investment and cyber security also on the agenda during the trip. There is growing concern in the West about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reluctance to publicly denounce the actions of Russia, India’s Cold War ally. Image: Foreign Minister Liz Truss travels to India to urge country to condemn Russian invasion Ms Trevelyan told Sky News that “defending democratic nations and peaceful borders” was “something we want to see everyone do”. “We understand why they have chosen to sit on the fence right now – they have connections in both directions,” he said. “But for us, it is really important to see all the countries that believe in democracy and the rule of law, and even defend your territorial boundaries and want to have this sovereignty respected by those around you, to defend this.” Ms Trevelyan has been pressured by Sky Bur Kay to make her comfortable doing business with a country that “imposes sanctions for the deaths of innocent people.” She replied: “No, it does not, and I think we must be clear that we continue to defend democracies where the right to live peacefully in your sovereign nation is something that must be respected by all.” Read more: Russian fuel market gives “damn money” to Moscow, says Ukraine
The foreign minister’s mission was to fail
Neville Lazarus
Indian reporter and producer @nevilleskynews India is realistic about the crisis in Ukraine. Instead of moral and ideological reasons, her attitude is based on practical and national interests. The Monti government abstained from several resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly against Russia. He stopped denouncing the invasion or even calling it, stressing humanitarian concerns about ending the conflict. If Liz Truss’s mission is to get Delhi to condemn the actions of the Russians, then it is going to fail. India relies heavily on Moscow for arms imports and abstained in a series of United Nations invasions. The government agreed this month to import three million barrels of Russian oil at a big discount after Moscow was forced to drop prices due to international sanctions. There are concerns that the relatively small amount of oil is a precursor to more markets in the coming months, which could weaken the impact of Western sanctions on Russia. Liz Truss’s visit is not just about Russia. It will confirm 70 70m British investment funding to support the development of renewable energy in India, one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon users. It will also announce a new joint cyber security program to protect cyber infrastructure in both countries from attacks. Trade is also likely to be on the agenda after the two countries began talks on a free trade agreement in January with the aim of signing an agreement by the end of the year that could boost trade by billions of pounds. Image: Karnataka court upholds ban on students wearing hijab But there are other problems in India that Ms Truss will have to deal with, including banning the use of hijab in the classrooms in Karnataka, which is seen as an attempt to marginalize minority Muslims in the predominantly Hindu nation. There are fears that similar bans could be imposed in other states after a court upheld the ruling, prompting some Muslim female students to consider dropping out of college. Tensions between India and Pakistan have also risen recently, with two suspected insurgents killed in an exchange of gunfire with government forces in the Indian-controlled capital city of Kashmir early Wednesday, police said. Neighboring countries are each claiming the divided territory of Kashmir as a whole, with tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces being killed in the 1989 conflict. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:46 What happened on the 35th day of the conflict? Since becoming prime minister in 2019, Boris Johnson has sought to build stronger ties with India by signing a landmark deal with Mr Monti last year to strengthen ties over the next decade. Ahead of her trip to India, Ms True 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 all the 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 cyber security.” “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.”
