US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said India among other nations has the influence to directly engage with Russia and added that he urged New Delhi along with China to persuade Moscow against using tactical nuclear weapons.
In an interview with Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic on the first anniversary of the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine, Blinken said, “There was language coming out of Moscow that suggested that he would look to the use of tactical nuclear weapons. But what we did in that case was to not only message him very directly.”
“But we urged, and I think successfully, other countries that might have a little bit more influence with Russia these days – like China, but also other countries like India – to engage him directly about their absolute opposition to any use of nuclear weapons,” he added.
The US Secretary of State also said countries including India, which didn’t join the West in denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were on a trajectory away from alignment with Russia and moving into partnership with the US and other countries.
Blinken’s statement comes in response to India’s position on the Ukraine war as it didn’t join the West in denouncing Russia’s invasion.
He said that countries with longstanding relations with Russia are challenging to break off in one fell swoop. He further added Russia has been providing military equipment to India for decades, but New Delhi has been moving away from relying on Kremlin in the last few years.
“There are countries that have longstanding, decades-long relationships with Russia – with the Soviet Union before – that are challenging to break off in one fell swoop. It’s not flipping a light switch; it’s moving an aircraft carrier,” Blinken said, according to the US Department of State website.
“India for decades had Russia at the core providing military equipment to it and its defenses, but what we’ve seen over the last few years is a trajectory away from relying on Russia and moving into partnership with us and with other countries – France and so forth,” he added.
India has faced pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow after Russian invaded Ukraine.
However, it has remained steadfast in its position on the Ukraine War. India, along with 31 other nations, abstained from voting on resolutions in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that underscored the need to reach as soon as possible a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine.
Last September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the high-level UN General Assembly session that in this conflict, India is on the side of peace and dialogue and diplomacy.
(With Inputs from Shailendra Wangu)
Read all the Latest News here
Comments
0 comment