India ‘somewhat shaky’ on Russia: Biden
March 22, 2022
Online desk; US President said that only India among fellow Quad allies – the United States, Japan and Australia – has shown itself to be “somewhat shaky” in its response to Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
While the other Quad countries – the United States, Japan and Australia – have sanctioned Russian entities or people, India has not imposed sanction or even condemned Russia, its biggest supplier of military hardware.
India has said the escalation of tensions “is a matter of deep concern” and has reiterated that the issue can only be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
Joe Biden lauded other allies saying “we have presented a united front throughout the Nato and in the Pacific” in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The Quad – with the possible exception of India being somewhat shaky on some of these – but Japan has been extremely strong, so is Australia in terms of dealing with Putin’s aggression.”India has had to walk a diplomatic tightrope over Ukraine as it tries to balance ties with Moscow and the West. Russia continues to be India’s largest arms supplier.
India is also considering buying Russian oil at a subsided rate with reports that a state-owned company has signed a deal to import 3 million barrels of crude from a Russian company.
