India To Face High Cost If Aligned With Russia, U.S. Says

President Joe Biden's top economic adviser said the admin has warned India against aligning itself with Russia. U.S. officials have been "disappointed" with some of New Delhi's reactions to the Ukraine invasion.

"There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by China and India's decisions, in the context of the invasion," the White House National Economic Council director, Brian Deese, told reporters at breakfast Wednesday hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

While the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan have piled economic sanctions onto Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, India has declined. Instead, it has sought to continue imports of Russian oil. The U.S. has told India that the consequences of a "more explicit strategic alignment" with Moscow would be "significant and long-term," he said.

While the U.S., Australia, Europe, and Japan have piled economic sanctions onto Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, India has declined. Instead, it has sought to continue imports of Russian oil.

New Delhi's reaction to the invasion complicates its relationship with Washington, where India is regarded as an important partner in countering Chinese influence in Asia. Deese's comments come after Deputy National Security Advisor Daleep Singh traveled to India last week for meetings with officials.

India's Ministry of External Affairs didn't respond to a message seeking comment sent after normal business hours. India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Wednesday again underlined the importance of New Delhi's ties with Moscow.

"Like all other countries, we too are assessing the implications" of Russia's war in Ukraine and "deciding what is best for our national interest."

As part of a briefing for reporters on new sanctions against Russia, a U.S. official said that the country and the rest of the Group of Seven nations would continue to cooperate with India. According to the official, India and the U.S. work closely on global food security and energy.

As a condition of the briefing, the official asked not to be identified. Besides buying Russian oil, India is the world's largest buyer of Russian weapons. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resisted requests from the U.S. and Australia to scale back the relationship because India needs Russian weapons to counter both Pakistan and China. The alternatives are too expensive, according to people familiar with the matter.