India To Face Significant Consequences: US On India Aligning With Russia

Mumbai: White House Director of the National Economic Council, Brian Deese, has said the US has told India that the consequences of a “more explicit strategic alignment” with Russia would be “significant and long-term”.

“There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed in terms of aggression from decisions by both China and India,” Brian Deez, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor on Wednesday.

He said the US has told India that the outcome of a “more clear strategic alignment” with Moscow would be “significant and long-lasting”.

While the US, Europe, Australia and Japan have imposed economic sanctions on Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, India has refused and instead sought to continue importing Russian oil.

New Delhi’s response to the invasion is complicating its relationship with Washington, where India is perceived as a key partner in countering Chinese influence in Asia.

Dees’ remarks came after Deputy National Security Adviser Dalip Singh arrived in India last week for a meeting with officials.

Earlier this week, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, “During the visit, Duleep made it clear to his counterparts that we do not consider it in India’s interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other goods.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to a message sent for comment after normal business hours.

The US and the rest of the Group of Seven nations will continue to collaborate with India and hope that they can align efforts to the greatest extent possible, a US official said in a briefing for reporters Wednesday on new sanctions against Russia. India and the US collaborate extensively on food security and global energy, the official said.

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