How Russia-Ukraine war is trying India-US relations

Despite the growing closeness between India and the US in recent decades, the Russia-Ukraine crisis has revealed some fundamental differences between the two countries.

America's allies have come together to press for the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin against Ukraine. Along with the US and its European allies, Asian powers such as Japan and South Korea are also imposing sanctions against Russia.

However, India is one of the few countries that has distanced itself from condemning Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call with Putin on February 24 simply appealed for an "immediate end to the violence".

On the other hand, India did not vote on the resolution presented in the United Nations Security Council against Russia's attack on Ukraine.

India has largely ignored the US in recent years, but despite this, the US has not only increased bilateral ties with India but also through forums such as the 'Quad' (a grouping that includes the US, India, Japan, and Australia). It has also strengthened multilateral engagement with

Shared concerns about an assertive China have brought India and the US closer to each other in the Indo-Pacific. But this sweetness of relationships cannot come in other geographical areas. As is evident from the different positions of India and the US in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

India and America on Ukraine issue

President Joe Biden said in remarks on February 24 that India and the US had held consultations and that they had "not yet resolved" the issue of deciding their stance on Russia.

This clearly shows that both are different from each other on this. Earlier, the White House had publicly said that it welcomes India's role in de-escalation and then expressed hope that New Delhi will take Washington's side on the issue.

Responding to the allegation of India taking advantage of the West's support against China but remaining silent on Russia's actions, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently categorically stated that the situation in the Indo-Pacific and the Trans-Atlantic was 'one was not the same.

During a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference on 19 February, Jaishankar said that "European powers would have long ago been in much better shape in the Indo-Pacific if there had been a relationship between the two circumstances, but India did not see that."

On India's not taking America's side on the current crisis, analyst Subimal Bhattacharjee told BBC Monitoring, "India can't forget the lessons of history. There was a time when America supported Pakistan instead of India and it was Russia." It was the one who gave unwavering support to India. The policymakers of India will not forget this."

Will Indo-US relations pass the test of Russia?

The Russia-Ukraine conflict may have exposed the limits of Indo-US relations, but for a long time, there have been differences of opinion on its implications.

Some Indian media has highlighted that US sanctions against Russia will have an indirect effect on India, which imports about 60 percent of its weapons from Russia.

The famous Hindi daily Navbharat Times said in its editorial on 24 February that the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict for India would be particularly visible in the purchase of arms.

pressure may increase

It was said in that Hindi daily that America can increase the pressure on India not to buy weapons from Russia. Its impact will also be visible on the S-400 missile defense system deal between India and Russia.

US sanctions against Russia could affect some more important defense deals, including the planned export of the BrahMos cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia; Agreement to build 4 warships at once; Procurement of Su-MKI and MiG-29 aircraft by India; And the Indo-Russian joint project for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Rooppur in Bangladesh could also be affected.

Despite recent developments likely to affect India's arms purchases, some experts say there will be no long-term adverse impact on India-US relations.

Former Indian diplomat Amarendra Khatua told BBC Monitoring that there could be some challenges to arms imports, but India and the US cannot afford to move away from each other, especially when China tries to break into the Indo-Pacific. Used to be.

Amarendra Khatua has been India's ambassador to Argentina and Ivory Coast. He was instrumental in rebuilding India's trade and economic relations with the Russian Federation after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Some people advised India to change its stand.

The Indian government's limited public communication and refusal to condemn Putin for the current crisis are not entirely unusual, especially against the backdrop of the country's foreign policy principle of strategic autonomy.

New Delhi has firmly maintained its stand about not taking sides. However, some experts and media have commented that the circumstances may not be so easy for the Indian government.

The government of India is at the crossroads

Khatua said that the Indian government is actually at a crossroads. She wants America to deal with China, but she also wants Russia's support for all weapons. So getting stuck in the middle is not a good situation.

English daily 'The Indian Express said in a report, "With pressure from the US-led Western Bloc, it is a test for New Delhi to make a strategic choice. Principles and values ​​on one side and practicality on the other." There are more interests.

While major Indian media outlets have largely avoided criticizing Russia's actions, a section of the media has highlighted the need to assess India's position on the issue.

Noted journalist Pranab Dhal Samanta wrote in a commentary in the leading English business newspaper 'The Economic Times' that India should take "a hard, and long-term look at its relations with Russia", especially against India's rivals China and Pakistan. There is a need to look at the background of relations with Russia.

Similarly, an editorial in The Times of India, English's most widely circulated daily, cautioned that relations with the US-led West are "more important than ever" and that it "needs to maintain its current diplomatic stance". Will need to be re-evaluated, which is a core question."