US calls on India to rethink ties with Russia, China
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India's historical ties with Russia remain strong as New Delhi maintains a neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict.
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White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, May 22, 2024 (AP)
At the 2024 Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned of the potential challenges in US-India relations due to New Delhi's deepening ties with Russia and China.
Sullivan highlighted the importance of the US-India partnership and the broader opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region while expressing concerns about India's relationships with these two nations.
"Russia is getting closer and closer to China and as the junior partner to China is not necessarily going to be a great reliable friend to India in a future contingency or crisis," he said. "It's something that we take into account as we have our strategic dialogue with India."
India's historical ties with Russia remain strong, and despite escalating partnerships with the US following the 2020 border clash with China, New Delhi maintains a neutral stance on the Ukraine conflict.
"India has a historic relationship with Russia that they’re not going to cut off, but we do believe that we want to continue to have a deep dialogue with India about the specifics and the nature of that relationship," Sullivan said.
Read more: India eyes deals with Russia's Rosneft, other firms
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Moscow in July, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, sparked criticism from US officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The visit coincided with a NATO summit in Washington, DC, which Sullivan admitted complicated the "optics" from a US perspective. "We never want to see countries that we care about, our partners and friends of ours show up in Moscow and hug Putin," Sullivan stated.
India's defense and economic ties with Russia have deep roots, dating back to the Cold War. Russia remains a major supplier of defense equipment to India.
The Ukraine conflict has further intensified India's imports of Russian crude oil, with imports increasing nearly 20 times since 2021, covering 40% of India's demand last year.
This has led to Western accusations that these purchases fund Russia's war efforts, a claim India disputes by arguing that buying Russian oil helps stabilize global crude prices.
Read more: Putin, Modi likely to discuss money transfer mechanisms in Moscow
