The U.S. Should Show India It’s a Better Partner Than Putin
While New Delhi’s fence-sitting is frustrating, Western countries need to prove they’re a wiser long-term bet than Russia.
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Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg
India has surprised and disappointed many of its fellow democracies by refusing to directly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some U.S. officials have even let their frustrations spill out in public. Although understandable, such criticisms are mostly unproductive. The U.S. and its allies should instead concentrate on showing India that the country’s interests are better served through partnership with the West, not Vladimir Putin.
Russia and China seem to see India’s loyalty as up for grabs. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently dropped by New Delhi unannounced to discuss a border dispute. His Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov followed within days. According to Bloomberg News, Russia is offering to sell crude oil to India at a steep discount and to set up a rupees-for-rubles payment system to avoid restrictions on Russian banks.