Standing alongside India’s foreign and defense ministers on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a clear message of support for Ukraine.
Blinken noted that the United States will continue to call on countries to support Kyiv, “just as we call on all nations to condemn Moscow’s increasingly atrocious actions.”
Speaking at a press conference after the US-India 2+2 ministerial in Washington, Blinken said: “Russia’s war against Ukraine is an attack on the Ukrainian people. It is also an attack on the rules-based order that we both adhere to and defend. “
The United States, Blinken said, “will continue to strengthen its support for the government and people of Ukraine, and urges other countries to do the same, just as we call on all nations to condemn the action.” Moscow’s increasingly brutal.”
Blinken stated that Russia’s war was “totally contrary to the shared vision of the United States and India of a free and open Indo-Pacific”, noting that Russia’s actions Moscow is having consequences all over the world.
India has continued to buy Russian oil after the war in Ukraine and last week abstained in a vote to remove Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The US secretary of state also said on Monday that “India must make its own decision on how to approach” Russia’s war in Ukraine and the US believes it is “important that all countries, especially those country has leverage, press Putin to end the war.”
“As a joint proposal, we are consulting all our allies and partners about the consequences of Putin’s war, the atrocities that are being committed against the people of Ukraine. ,” Blinken said at the press conference after the US-India 2 + 2 ministers.
Blinken says it’s important that “democracies stand together and speak as one voice to defend the values we share – and that we share deeply, liberal, liberal values. openness, independence, sovereignty and those values need to be applied everywhere.”
The top US diplomat noted that “India’s relationship with Russia has evolved over the decades, at a time when the United States could not be India’s partner,” but that “times have changed.” exchange” and the United States “can and is willing to be the partner of choice with India. ”
“And I would also like to note that India is providing substantial humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people, especially with medicines that are desperately needed and in real need,” he added.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that India was “resisting conflict” and “dialogue and diplomacy” and “put an urgent end to the violence”.
“We are ready to contribute in any way to these goals,” he said.
“When it comes to buying oil, sanctions, etc., I just note that there are a lot of remedial factors to energy purchases,” Blinken said. Of course, we are encouraging countries not to buy more energy supplies from Russia.”
“Every country is different, has different needs and requirements, but we want our allies and partners not to increase their energy purchases from Russia,” Blinken said.
On oil, Jaishankar thinks the world should look to Europe, showing that Europe buys more oil from Russia than India.
Blinken said President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “had a very warm and productive conversation” and that “about Russia-Ukraine, they talked about ways to mitigate the profound impact this has. are having an effect on the supply and prices of global food and commodity markets. and work together to get there. ”
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who also attended the event, spoke about the importance of the US and India maintaining links.
“As strategic threats converge, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is more important than ever that ‘US and India’ stand together to defend their shared values. and maintain an international rules-based order,” Austin said.
