US President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser has said that the US warned India against partnering too closely with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
“Our message to the Indian Government is that the costs and consequences for them of moving into a more explicit strategic alignment with Russia will be significant and long-term,” White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told reporters.
“There are certainly areas where we have been disappointed by both China and India’s decisions, in the context of the invasion,” he added.
It comes after the US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh made an official visit to India last week.
“What Daleep did make clear to his counterparts during this visit was that we don’t believe it’s in India’s interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities,”White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said after Singh returned this week.
India has declined to level sanctions against Russia, as other countries have done.
The country, which the US sees as a counter to China’s power in Asia, is the largest importer of Russian weapons, according to Bloomberg.
While the US, Europe, Australia and Japan have piled economic sanctions onto Russia in response to its war against Ukraine, India has declined and instead has sought to continue imports of Russian oil. New Delhi’s reaction to the invasion is complicating its relationship with Washington, where India is regarded as an important partner in countering Chinese influence in Asia.
The US and the rest of the G7 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 on Wednesday on new sanctions against Russia. India and the US collaborate extensively on food security and global energy, the official said on the condition of anonymity.
In addition to seeking Russian oil, India is the world’s largest buyer of Russian weapons.