U.S. Criticises India Over Russia Talks

U.S. and Australia criticized India for considering a Russian proposal that would undermine sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies, showing a deepening rift between the emerging security partners as Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov traveled to Delhi for talks.

On Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo spoke to reporters in Washington. According to her, reports of the arrangement are "deeply disappointing," but she has not seen specifics.

During the briefing, Australia's trade minister, Dan Tehan, said it was important that democracies work together "to keep the rules-based approach that we have since the second world war."

The comments reflect growing unease with India among fellow members of the Quad. India is the world's largest buyer of Russian weapons and has also sought to buy cheap oil as fuel prices surge.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday that India is weighing a plan to make rupee-ruble-denominated payments using an alternative to SWIFT after the U.S. and European Union cut off seven Russian banks from using the Belgium-based cross-border payment system operator.

India's middle-ground position on the war has left to a raft of diplomacy in the past few weeks, with China's foreign minister visiting for the first time since 2019 and now Lavrov seeking to shore up support. At the same time, the U.S. and its allies are also stepping up engagement to influence Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

India has pushed back against U.S. concerns by noting that it needs Russian arms to counter China, particularly after border clashes in 2020, and alternatives are too expensive. The strategic relationship between India and Russia dates back to the Cold War. It remains robust, even as Modi has shifted the country toward the U.S. orbit in recent years.