Washington: Even as the war in Ukraine continued to intensify for more than a month, a senior White House official on Friday said India’s position at the United Nations over the Ukraine crisis has been unsatisfactory and added that it was also unsurprising given its historical relationship with Russia.
Mira Rapp-Hooper, director for the Indo-Pacific on the White House National Security Council, said India needed alternatives to continue close relationship with Russia.
“I think we would certainly all acknowledge and agree that when it comes to votes at the UN, India’s position on the current crisis has been unsatisfactory, to say the least. But it’s also been totally unsurprising,” she was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
Giving further details, she said India became closer to Russia as its relationship with China worsened. “I think our perspective would be that the way forward involves keeping India close, thinking hard about how to present it with options, so that it can continue to provide for its strategic autonomy,” she added.
On the other hand, India on Friday said it is in the process of analysing the impact of sanctions on Moscow for India-Russia bilateral trade and economic cooperation. The US and several Western countries have imposed crippling economic sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
“Many countries have imposed sanctions on Russia due to the conflict. These are expected to have an impact on the global economy, including through disruption of supply chains. Its impact on energy and commodity prices is already visible,” Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi was quoted as saying PTI.
She said this while replying to a question in Lok Sabha. “We are in the process of analysing its impact on India-Russia bilateral trade and economic cooperation, in consultation with all stakeholders. India’s relations with Russia stand on their own merit,” Lekhi said.
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