“Unsatisfactory” But “Unsurprising”: US Over India’s Stand On Russia-Ukraine War

Washington:

A senior White Home official mentioned on Friday India’s place on the United Nations over the disaster in Ukraine has been “unsatisfactory” however was additionally unsurprising given its historic relationship with Russia.

Mira Rapp-Hooper, director for the Indo-Pacific on the White Home Nationwide Safety Council, informed an internet discussion board hosted by Washington’s Faculty of Superior Worldwide Research India wanted options to continued shut ties with Russia.

“I believe we will surely all acknowledge and agree that with regards to votes on the UN, India’s place on the present disaster has been unsatisfactory, to say the least. Nevertheless it’s additionally been completely unsurprising,” she mentioned.

India has developed shut ties with Washington lately and is a crucial a part of the Quad grouping geared toward pushing again towards China. Nevertheless it has a long-standing relationship with Moscow, which stays a serious provider of its protection gear.

India has averted condemning Russian actions in Ukraine and abstained in UN Safety Council votes on the difficulty.

Ms Rapp-Hooper mentioned India had cleaved nearer to Russia as a hedge as its relationship with China worsened, however it was pondering “lengthy and exhausting” about its protection dependency on Russia.

“I believe our perspective can be that the way in which ahead includes conserving India shut, pondering exhausting about current it with choices, in order that it may proceed to supply for its strategic autonomy,” she mentioned.

Even earlier than the Ukraine disaster erupted, Delhi upset Washington with its buy of Russia’s S-400 air protection system, placing it liable to U.S. sanctions beneath a 2017 US regulation geared toward deterring international locations from shopping for Russian army {hardware}.

Analysts say any sanctions towards India may jeopardize US cooperation with Delhi within the Quad discussion board with Japan and Australia geared toward countering China’s increasing affect.

Ms Rapp-Hooper mentioned Washington and its allies and companions wanted to take a look at their provide chains and take into consideration how they may also help international locations that could be contemplating exchange Russian protection methods.

“We now have quite a lot of companions which have chosen to maintain their chips in with Russia, when it comes to their protection procurement. partly as a hedge towards China, however who at the moment are in a spot of reconsidering the knowledge of these choices,” she mentioned.

“Not solely will they should make long-term choices about probably exchange Russian methods within the fast time period, they’ll want to have the ability to get provides and spare components to have the ability to preserve their very own militaries.”