The US has said it would continue to view India as a strategic partner and have a robust dialogue with it despite having concerns over its ties with Russia, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday. Washington underlined that it trusts that New Delhi would convey to Russian President Vladimir Putin the importance of adhering to the UN charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity over Ukraine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia for the 22nd India-Russia annual summit. The visit was watched closely by the West amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The US-led West is backing Ukraine in its fight against Moscow.
When asked about Modi's visit to Moscow, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said India and Russia have had a relationship for a very long time. "From a US perspective, India is a strategic partner with whom we continue to engage in full and frank dialogue to include their relationship with Russia. As it relates to the NATO summit being this week, of course, like you, the world is focused on that," Ryder told reporters at a news conference.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, however, told reporters that the US had been quite clear about its "concerns about India's relationship with Russia." "We have expressed those privately directly to the Indian government, and continue to do so. And that has not changed," Miller said.
India has been defending its "special and privileged strategic partnership" with Russia and maintained the momentum in the ties notwithstanding the Ukraine conflict. New Delhi has not yet condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has consistently pitched for a resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Ryder said: "I do not think anybody will be surprised if President Putin tries to represent this visit in a way that seeks to somehow show that he is not isolated from the rest of the world. And the fact of the matter is President Putin's war of choice has isolated Russia from the rest of the world, and it has come at great cost. Their war of aggression has come at great cost, and the facts bear that out."
"So we will continue to view India as a strategic partner. We will continue to have a robust dialogue with them," Ryder said. When told that Putin was not looking so isolated with the head of the world's largest democracy being in Moscow, Ryder said Prime Minister Modi also met recently with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and offered his assurances that India will continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.
"I think that we trust that India will support efforts to realise an enduring and just peace for Ukraine and will convey to Mr Putin the importance of adhering to the UN charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.
Miller said the US continues to "urge India to support efforts to realise an enduring and just peace in Ukraine, based on the principles of the UN charter based on upholding Ukraine's territorial integrity and its sovereignty. And that will continue to be what we will engage with India about.
(With inputs from PTI)