The US wants to replace Russia as India's main foreign partner, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing discussing the State Department's Fiscal Year 2023 budget.

The head of American diplomacy explained that a number of countries are now reviewing their relations with other states, in particular with Russia.

“In the case of India, relations (with Russia. -

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) go back decades.

Russia was a partner of necessity for India when we were not in the position to be her partner.

We are currently making efforts in this direction.

I believe there is a growing strategic convergence between the US and India right now.

And of course, China has a serious role to play here,” Blinken said.

According to him, the US-India relationship has the potential to make the partnership between Washington and New Delhi one of the most fundamental for the US over the next decades.

At the same time, members of the Senate Committee from the Democratic Party criticized the current interaction between New Delhi and Moscow, demanding a tougher course towards the South Asian country.

“They buy oil from Russia.

They buy S-400.

They abstain (when voting critical of Russia. -

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) in the UN, but at the same time they are a member of the Quadripartite Security Dialogue.

So, in a way, we are sending conflicting signals to the world.

Words: “we are alarmed” and “disappointed” are not enough,” said Senator Bob Menendez.

In turn, Senator Chris Van Hollen demanded that Blinken explain why Washington does not apply restrictive measures against states that import Russian resources.

“Why are we not imposing secondary sanctions on countries ... that are increasing imports of Russian raw materials?

Some countries enjoy discounts on Russian oil, which only plays into the hands of Putin,” he said.

In response, the head of the State Department explained that Washington is using diplomatic methods to convince such countries to give up Russian resources.

“Whenever possible, it is much preferable to persuade countries to voluntarily abandon such practices.

This is what our diplomatic efforts are focused on,” Blinken stressed.

conditions for friendship

It is not the first time that the head of American diplomacy speaks of the desire of the United States to get closer to India, taking the place of Russia.

He made such a statement in mid-April following a meeting with Foreign Minister of this Asian state Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Then he also recalled that the trusting relationship between Moscow and New Delhi was formed at a time when the United States "could not and did not want to be a partner of India."

“Now we can and want to be that partner — the security partner of choice for India,” the head of the State Department said.

  • Anthony Blinken

  • AP

  • © Michael A. McCoy / The New York Times

Blinken stressed that Washington has not yet decided whether to impose sanctions on New Delhi for the purchase of Russian S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems.

According to the head of the State Department, the United States expects that its allies and partners will not increase energy purchases from Russia, and also urges all countries to avoid large new deals on the import of Russian weapons.

At the same time, Washington presented its requirements for India as a potential partner and through the Pentagon.

So, the representative of the department, John Kirby, said on April 22 that New Delhi should abandon joint defense activities with Russia.

“We have made it very clear to India, as well as other countries, that we do not want them to rely on Russia for defense,” Kirby said.

He added that Washington appreciates cooperation with India in the military sphere and will look for ways to intensify its development.

Independent politics

It is worth recalling that India is one of Russia's largest partners in the defense sector.

In early December 2021, the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) of Russia, Dmitry Shugaev, said that the portfolio of orders for the supply of military equipment and weapons to India exceeds $14 billion.

“India occupies a high percentage in our supply volume - almost 25% of our total volume,” Shugaev said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel.

Earlier, the department reported that since 1991, India has purchased weapons from the Russian Federation in the amount of about $ 70 billion.

  • Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi

  • AP

  • © Manish Swarup

In addition, against the backdrop of international sanctions against the Russian Federation, India is actively importing Russian energy resources.

Its state-owned refiners have purchased about 15 million barrels of Russian oil since late February, compared with 16 million barrels in all of 2021, according to The Economic Times.

It was reported that Indian state-owned companies plan to further increase their purchases of oil from Russia.

At the same time, they will move from tenders to contractual deals in order to get the maximum benefit, the media noted, citing unnamed sources.

Experts interviewed by RT believe that this US rhetoric regarding India indicates that Americans are aware of the growing influence of this country and are trying to secure New Delhi in their political orbit.

“Blinken's statement, in fact, confirms the growing role of India in global politics.

Today, interest in this country and its positions in international relations is quite high.

If we are talking about the fact that the United States wants to replace Russia as an important ally of India, then this is primarily dictated by the growing influence of the latter, ”said Tatyana Shaumyan, head of the Center for Indian Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

She recalled that a significant Indian diaspora lives in the United States - about 3 million people, which also influences American domestic political processes.

According to the expert, statements about the need to impose sanctions on New Delhi are heard in Washington because of the unwillingness of some politicians to recognize the significant influence of this country in the world.

“They accuse India of turning towards the USSR at one time, and now towards Russia.

While New Delhi seeks to pursue an independent policy, it is interested in having its own place on the world stage in developing relations with the main actors.

But at the same time, India does not intend to be led by anyone, ”the expert emphasized.

As a result, it can be expected that relations between the Russian Federation and India will stand the test of current circumstances and New Delhi will not go for rapprochement with the United States, sacrificing cooperation with Moscow, Shaumyan believes.

In turn, Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies, in an interview with RT, noted that the United States began to work more actively on developing a dialogue with India in order to strengthen the anti-Chinese front led by Washington.

“The United States is actively seeking allies against both Russia and China.

America does not need anyone at all, except for those who fulfill its agenda.

The White House has strictly demarcated this world into its supporters and everyone else, ”the political scientist explained.

He believes that the controversial rhetoric of the American establishment, which includes both possible sanctions against India for the purchase of Russian S-400s, and promising plans for partnership with this country, is “common practice for Americans.”

“With the level of hypocrisy that exists in the United States, this is a variant of the norm.

The senators are demanding sanctions, while Blinken says that the decision has not yet been made - in this way they show that, in addition to the carrot, there is also a stick, ”the analyst explained.

From his point of view, a sharp change in orientation in favor of intensifying relations with the United States is not very beneficial for India.

“The authorities of this country believe that they can solve the pressing issues on their own, especially given the current position of India in the world.

New Delhi is not interested in American patronage, because it understands that its influence is quite enough, ”Bruter concluded.