The US is exhorting India to distance itself from Russia but what are our choices?
The United States has asked India to distance itself from Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. That is as good as telling India to join the US camp. India remains the only major ally of the United States not to openly criticise Russia. Is the United States finding such a situation galling or untenable? Either way, the message sent across to New Delhi through Donald Lu, assistant US Secretary of State for South Asian affairs, is crystal clear: “India is a really important security partner of ours now…. (but) part of what happens with the extreme criticism that Russia has faced is that India will find it’s now time to further distances.” Washington is conveying that being an important partner to the United States is not enough; the partnership should extend to sharing the policy vision of the United States as well. On the face of it, that simply leaves India with Hobson's choice. Or, maybe not. Like any other country, the administration in the US also has to explain its policy to its domestic audience. With former President Donald Trump snapping at its heels, the Biden Administration would want no hiccups in its ability to command world opinion against Russia that could impact the prospects of the Democrats in the forthcoming mid-term elections. India “joining” the US camp over Russia removes the sore point of discord over the American stand. President Joe Biden would then not be seen as “leading” a discordant coalition against Russia, particularly when President Vladimir Putin called the western bluff and went ahead with the invasion.
But the way the Americans are going about trying to get India to back them does not reflect a relationship of mutual respect. David Lu laid all the cards on the table. On sanctions against India for the S-400 deal with Russia, he kept the issue hanging, saying he could not “prejudge” President Biden on the waiver or sanctions. On India’s abstentions, he described it as a “pitched battle” to “urge it to take a clear position”. In the same breath, he called India’s stand to send critical aid to Ukraine and its call to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states as “small steps” and an “evolution” in India’s position. Was he admitting the Americans leaned heavily on India? Remember, Biden obliquely used the China card on India by strangely discussing Ukraine at a meeting of Quad that addresses the Indo-Pacific. A disappointed western media is already proposing a reassessment of how the west views India. It is unable to digest India’s stand on Russia as a sign of its strategic autonomy. But the west has a problem. It has to choose between protesting India’s dissonance on Russia now and the later need for India’s role in the long-term task of countering China’s attempts at domination in Asia. It is well aware India is the only Asian country capable of standing up to China.