In a video conference call, Biden told Monti that the United States could help India diversify its energy sources, according to spokeswoman Jen Psaki. Although India receives some of its oil from Russia, it has recently boosted with a significant market as other democracies try to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The president has also made it clear that he does not believe it is in India’s interest to speed up or increase imports of Russian energy or other goods,” Psaki said. As the two nations concluded their meeting with Biden, saying they had pledged to strengthen their relationship, White House officials could not say whether India sided with them, fully condemning Putin, saying the choice was ultimately up to the Monti government. . The two leaders will meet in person on May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan. India’s neutral stance on the war has raised concerns in Washington and has won praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who praised India this month for judging “the situation as a whole, not just unilaterally”. Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing defense cooperation between the two countries, saying the United States and India would “continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war” on food and other goods. . “The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, our family ties, our friendship and our common values,” he said. Monti on Monday described the situation in Ukraine as “very worrying” and noted that an Indian student had lost his life during the war. He said he had spoken to Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling on both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings in Bucha and called for an independent inquiry. A senior US official described the Biden-Monti exchange as “warm and productive”, although he said India would make its own decisions about how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting. Biden and Monti discussed how to manage the risks of global food instability, humanitarian aid and climate change, and Monti honestly shared his views on some of the worrying close ties between Russia and China, he said. the official. Also Monday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met in person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmaniam Jaisankar. Austin called on India to act together with the other democracies, a form of government based on the popular consensus of a people opposed to authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia. “Now more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values we all share,” Austin said. India has refrained from making any attempts to hold Russia responsible for its invasion. India abstained when the UN General Assembly voted on Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian troops in Ukraine were involved in human rights abuses that the United States and Ukraine have declared war crimes. The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions. India continues to buy Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The United States has also considered sanctions on India over its recent purchase of advanced Russian defense systems. Last month, state-owned Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude oil from Russia to meet its needs, resisting Western calls to avoid such purchases. However, India is not the only one buying Russian energy. Many European allies, such as Germany, have continued to do so, despite public pressure to terminate these agreements. Indian media reported that Russia offered a 20% discount on oil markets below world benchmarks. Iraq is India’s leading supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second with about 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the United States with 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
