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President Biden emphasised rising protection cooperation with India in a digital assembly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday — a line U.S. officers have more and more touted within the hopes of convincing New Delhi to return off the fence over Russia’s conflict on Ukraine.
India has lengthy been reliant on Russia for army {hardware}, an necessary issue within the deep historic ties between the 2 international locations. And so regardless of world condemnations of Russian aggression in Ukraine, Mr. Modi’s administration has tried to stay impartial — refraining from criticizing Russia, whereas calling for negotiations and fascinating Ukraine with humanitarian help.
Whereas American officers have been understanding of the complexity of India’s balancing act, seeing New Delhi as an necessary ally within the face of an assertive China, they’ve at occasions expressed frustration that India’s stance is providing President Putin some cowl. Some U.S. officers have warned of penalties if India expands commerce with Russia, particularly any improve in buying oil, because the West tries to tighten sanctions.
India imports solely about one % of its oil wants from Russia. Many Indian officers have spoken of a double customary, with Europe persevering with to import oil from Russia whereas India’s imports come beneath elevated scrutiny.
President Biden echoed sentiments that different U.S. officers have expressed in current weeks in makes an attempt to reassure India that its supply of army {hardware} wouldn’t run dry had been it to take a firmer stance in opposition to Russia.
“We share a powerful and rising main protection partnership,” President Biden stated in his opening remarks, earlier than the protection and international ministers of each international locations sat for prolonged dialogue. “The US and India will proceed our shut consultations on handle the destabilizing results of this Russian conflict.”
India’s protection purchases from the USA have elevated over the previous decade to about $20 billion. However analysts have stated increasing the ties to the purpose the place India’s dependency on Russian army {hardware} would wane might be gradual as it could require overcoming deeply rooted hesitancy within the relationship between the USA and India that dates again a long time.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Modi continued India’s delicate line on Ukraine — expressing concern in regards to the struggling attributable to the conflict however refraining from calling out Russia because the aggressor.
“Our talks right this moment are happening at a time when the state of affairs in Ukraine could be very worrying,” Mr. Modi stated. “Throughout this complete course of I spoke a number of occasions to the presidents of each Ukraine and Russia. I not solely appealed for peace, but additionally steered there be direct talks between President Putin and the president of Ukraine.”
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