‘It’s not in India’s interest to ‘speed up or increase’ oil import from Russia’
WASHINGTON: United States President Joe Biden on Monday informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it was not in India’s interest to “speed up or increase” its oil buy from Russia and was ready to help New Delhi even more diversify its energy imports, the White Home said.
Biden made the remarks throughout a virtual conference with Prime Minister Modi, which was “useful” and “efficient” and their interaction was “not adversarial,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki informed press reporters.
The virtual meeting between the 2 leaders came in the middle of some disquiet in Washington over India’s position on the Ukraine crisis along with its decision to obtain discounted Russian oil. The Modi-Biden virtual meeting lasted for about an hour.
“This was a constructive call. It was a productive call. It is a relationship that is vitally important to the United States and to the President. I would not see it as an adversarial call,” Psaki told reporters at her everyday press conference not long after the conclusion of the Modi-Biden virtual bilateral.
While the two leaders have fulfilled practically numerous times and also in individual settings, this was for the first time that Biden and Modi had a virtual bilateral.
During the meeting, Biden said that it is not in India’s interest to accelerate or increase its oil imports from Russia. As of now, India imports between one and two per cent of its oil needs from Russia as compared to 10 per cent from the United States.
The United States, Psaki said, is willing to assist India further diversify its energy resources. India purchasing oil and gas from Russia, she insisted, is not in infraction of any sanctions. “But I will let them speak for themselves,” she said.
Reacting to a concern, Psaki said that no choice has been taken on CAATSA sanctions on India, which is going on with its decision to purchase the S-400 missile system from Russia.
In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion handle Russia to purchase 5 systems of the S-400 Triumf air defence rocket systems to increase its air defence, in spite of a caution from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the agreement may invite United States sanctions.
The United States has currently enforced sanctions on Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 rocket defence systems from Russia.
Psaki informed reporters that Modi and India have spoken powerfully versus Russian atrocities in Ukraine.
Published at Mon, 11 Apr 2022 18:16:26 +0000