US And Australia criticized India to consider Russian proposals which would damage the sanctions imposed by America and its allies, showing the increasingly deep cracks between security partners who emerged as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to Delhi.
“Now is the time to stand on the right side of history, and to stand with the United States and dozens of other countries, defend freedom, democracy, and sovereignty with the people of Ukraine, and not funds and help the President of Putin’s war,” Trade Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters in Washington on Wednesday. He called the setting report “was very disappointing,” adding that he hadn’t seen the details.
And Tehan, the Minister of Trade Australia who also spoke at a briefing, said it was important for democracy to work together “to maintain a rule-based approach that we have since the Second World War.”
Comments reflect anxiety with India among fellow quad members, a group of democracy who tried to fight Chinese firmness in the Asia-Pacific region which also included the US, Australia and Japan. India is the largest Russian weapon buyer in the world, and also tries to buy cheap oil because of a surge in fuel prices.
While India has supported a call for a ceasefire and diplomatic solution, he was abstained at the United Nations about the sound for the draft resolution that condemned the Russian invasion which was ultimately heated by Moscow. Bloomberg reported Wednesday that India weighed a plan to make payments deny-ruble using alternatives to Swift after the US and the European Union cut seven Russian banks from using a Belgian-based cross-border-based payment system operator.
The Russian plan involved the payment of rupee denominations using the country’s messaging system SPF and Central Bank officials from Moscow are likely to visit next week to discuss the details. There is no final decision taken.
Indian central land position in the war has gone to diplomacy rafts in recent weeks, with Chinese foreign ministers visited for the first time since 2019 and now Lavrov tries to support support. At the same time, A.S. And his allies also increased involvement in an effort to influence the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Delhi earlier this month, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also held a video meeting with Modi. On Wednesday, the State Secretary Antony Blinken held a call with his colleague, Subrahmananyam Jaisankar, to discuss the “worse humanitarian situation in Ukraine” among other issues.
During the trip Lavrov, India also held an expert representative of the National Security Advisor for the international economy of Daleep Singh and U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. His office said he “will refer to the importance of all countries to reduce strategic dependence on Russia today increasing the global taste.”
India has pushed back to A.S. Concerns by noting that he needed Russian weapons to fight China, especially after border clashes in 2020, and the alternative was too expensive. The strategic relationship between India and Russia comes from the Cold War and remains strong, even when Modi has shifted more countries towards Orbit A.S. In recent years.
