The US has expressed its concerns privately and directly to the
Indian government regarding India’s relationship with Russia, and conveyed this again to New Delhi during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow, a senior US official has said.
US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller, queried about PM Modi’s official visit to Russia and his exchanging a warm embrace with President Vladimir Putin, said:
“We have been quite clear about our concerns about India’s relationship with Russia. We have expressed those privately, directly to the Indian Government and continue to do so, and that hasn’t changed.”
Asked if the US had done so ever since PM Modi’s July 8-9 visit to Moscow and sharing a warm hug with President Putin, Miller said:
“We have had conversations with them in the past 24 hours, and I think I’ll keep the contents of those private.”
To a question on the “Modi-Putin hugging chemistry” that Ukraine President Zelenskyy has objected to, and whether it will have any impact on the trusted and strategic partnership with India, Miller said:
“Well, as I said yesterday, we urge India, we continue to urge India, to support efforts to realize an enduring and just peace in Ukraine based on the principles of the UN Charter, based on upholding Ukraine’s territorial integrity and its sovereignty. And that will continue to be what we will engage with Ukraine – I’m sorry – we will engage with India about.”
PM Modi’s Russia visit featured in the Pentagon too.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, asked about the timing of the Modi-Putin meeting on the eve of the NATO summit, and whether the US will reconsider its decision to sell weapons to India, said:
“So, first of all, as you know, India and Russia have had a relationship for a very long time. From a US perspective, India is a strategic partner with whom we continue to engage in with full and frank dialog to include their relationship with Russia. As it relates to the NATO summit being this week, of course, like you, the world is focused on that.
“But I don’t think anybody will be surprised if President Putin tries to represent this visit in a way that seeks to somehow show he is not isolated from the rest of the world. And the fact of the matter is, is that President Putin’s war of choice has isolated Russia from the rest of the world, and it’s come at great cost.
“Their war of aggression has come at great cost and the facts bear that out. So, we will continue to view India as a strategic partner. We’ll continue to have robust dialog with them, and I’ll just leave it there.”
To a question on Putin: “He’s not looking so isolated with the head of the world’s largest democracy being in Moscow, embracing him right now.”
Gen Ryder said: “Well, again, I think that I would also note that the Prime Minister also met recently with the Ukrainian President and assured — and offered his assurances that India will continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine. I think that we trust that India will support efforts to realize an enduring and just peace for Ukraine and will convey to Mr. Putin the importance of adhering to the UN charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
