US avers India has to make its own decisions about how it approaches Russia-Ukraine war

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday said that India has to “make its own decisions” about how it approaches the Russia-Ukraine war. Following the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between Blinken, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, US Secretary of State averred that Washington would continue to call on nations to support Kyiv as the war with Moscow continues to escalate in the second month. He said the US would urge nations to back Ukraine “just as we call on all nations to condemn Moscow's increasingly brutal actions.”

Standing alongside Jaishankar, Singh, and Austin, Blinken called, “Russia's war against Ukraine is an attack on Ukraine's people. It's also an attack on that rules-based order that we both adhere to and defend.”

Blinken said, "Will continue to increase our support to the government and people of Ukraine and call on other nations to do the same, just as we call on all nations to condemn Moscow's increasingly brutal actions." The US Secretary of State also declared that Russia’s war “stands in stark contrast to the vision that the United States and India share for a free and open Indo-Pacific”. He further noted that Moscow’s actions in Kyiv are having consequences across the globe. 

It is to note here that 2+2 ministerial dialogue between India and the United States came when the Russia-Ukraine war has already entered day 47. While most of the western countries have moved to decrease dependency on Russian energy imports, India has continued to purchase Russian oil. India has also abstained from voting on resolutions against Russia in the United Nations (UN) sessions. Most recently, just last week, India abstained in a vote to remove Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

With the US in staunch opposition to Russia’s military actions, Blinken noted India’s stance and said, that “India has to make its own decisions about how it approaches” the Russian war in Ukraine and that the US believes “it is important that all countries, especially those with leverage, press Putin to end the war.”

“We, as a general proposition, are consulting with all of our allies and partners on the consequences of Putin’s war, the atrocities being committed against the people of Ukraine,” Blinken said at the news conference following the US-India 2+2 Ministerial. 

Blinken said India-Russia ties 'developed over the years'

According to the US Secretary of State, it was important that “democracies stand together and speak with one voice to defend the values that we share — and we do share, profoundly, the values of freedom, openness, independence, sovereignty, and those values need to apply everywhere.”

He went on to say that “India's relationship with Russia has developed over decades, at a time when the United States was not able to be partner to India,” but “times have changed” and the US is “able and willing to be a partner of choice with India.”

“And I would also note that India is providing significant humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, notably medicines which are very necessary and in real demand,” Blinken added.

(Image: ANI/AP)