The US link has warned Indialink against warming up to Russialink, ahead of a visit by Moscow’s topdiplomat to press New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn itsinvasion of Ukraine.
India link has abstained from UN resolutionscensuring Moscow and continues to buy Russian oil from its “longstandingand time-tested friend” and biggest supplier of arms.
But Delhi shares Western alarm over Beijing’s assertiveness in theAsia-Pacific region, with 20 Indian and four Chinese troops killed in abrawl on their disputed Himalayan border in 2020.
Daleep Singh, Washington’s chief sanctions strategist, was quoted by localmedia in a visit to Delhi as saying that Indialink could not rely on Russialink if there was another clash.
“Russia is going to be the junior partner in this relationship with China.And the more leverage that China gains over Russialink, the less favourable that is for Indialink,” Singh was quoted as saying onThursday.
“I don’t think anyone would believe that if China once again breached theLine of (Actual) Control, that Russialink wouldcome running to India link defence,” hesaid, referring to the India-China border.
Moscow, facing massive Western sanctions in response to its invasion ofUkraine in February, has declared a “no-limits partnership” with China,which has also failed to condemn Russia linkactions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Delhi late Thursday fromChina, where he had hailed Beijing as part of a new “multipolar, just,democratic world order”.
On Friday Lavrov was due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ForeignMinister S. Jaishankar.
India link and Russialink are working on a rupee-ruble mechanismto facilitate trade and get around Western sanctions on Russian banks,according to media reports.
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Russia link has written to Indialink defence ministry requesting clearanceof payments worth $1.3 billion that have been halted since last month,according to the local Economic Times newspaper.
Singh said the US link was ready to help Indialink — the world’s third biggest oilimporter and consumer — diversify its energy and defence supplies.
But he added that there would be consequences for countries seeking tocircumvent the sanctions.
“I come here in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of oursanctions, the importance of joining us link,to express a shared resolve and to advance shared interests. And yes, thereare consequences to countries that actively attempt to circumvent orbackfill the sanctions,” he said.
“We are very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners,not to create mechanisms that prop up the ruble and that attempt toundermine the dollar-based financial system,” he said.
India link is part of the so-called Quadalliance with the United States, Japan and Australia — seen as a bulwarkagainst China.
After the 2020 clash on the China border, Indialink rushed large amounts of militaryhardware to the frontier, most of it Russian-origin. -APP/AFP
