"India cannot trust Russia," US warns

 In the wake of the strained relations between India and Russia, the United States has warned its ally India that it cannot rely on Moscow.

According to the French news agency AFP, the United States has warned India at a time when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is on an official visit to India.

In the meantime, he will try to persuade the Modi government not to condemn the Ukraine war under pressure from the West.

It may be recalled that India had abstained from voting on the UN resolution against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In addition, despite the post-war tensions at the diplomatic level, India is buying oil from Russia.

On the other hand, India has repeatedly expressed its concerns over China's aggression in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2020, 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in a border dispute with China.

According to Indian media, Dilip Singh, the US Deputy Adviser for International Economics, said during his recent visit to India that "India will not be able to rely on Russia if another conflict arises."

He said that Russia would be a junior partner in relations with China and the more Russia has the upper hand over China, the more favorable it will be for India.

Dilip Singh added that if China once again violated the Line of Actual Control, he did not think that Russia would come running to defend India again.

India abstained from voting against Russia at UN (File Photo: AFP)

It should be noted that China, like a few other countries, has not condemned Russia's recent actions. That is why Russia has called its partnership with China "unlimited."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in India on Thursday after an official visit to China, where he is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

To deal with the economic sanctions imposed on Russia, India and Moscow are trying to find a way to facilitate trade between the Russian ruble and the Indian rupee.

Dilip Singh said the United States could help India's energy needs and the availability of defense equipment. At the same time, he warned that countries that ignore economic sanctions on Russia would face consequences.