Why Has India Not Condemned Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine?

In the year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western democracies have condemned Moscow, slapped wide-ranging sanctions on it, cut back on Russian oil and gas and sent unprecedented amounts of arms and ammunition to help Ukraine defend itself.

But the world’s biggest democracy — India — hasn’t done any of that.

India has solidified ties with Moscow. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Vladimir Putin in September and called their countries’ friendship “unbreakable.” He did tell the Russian president it’s “not a time for war.” But a year on, Modi still refuses to assign blame for the violence, and has voiced more concern over the spike in global food and fuel prices triggered by the war.

Meanwhile, as Europe eschews Russian oil and gas, India has doubled down on buying Russian oil at bargain prices — much to Washington’s chagrin. And India continues to place orders for Russian-made weapons.

All this is a reminder that, a year into this war, condemnation of Russia is far from unanimous. Much of the global south actually sees the West’s focus on Ukraine as a distraction from other, more pressing issues like food security, inflation and mounting debt.

Analysts and political scientists cite four main factors shaping India’s policy toward Ukraine and Russia: History, energy, arms and influence.

Factor #1: The India-Russia relationship goes way back

India was still under British colonial rule when Russia opened its first consulate there in 1900, in Mumbai. But relations really took off during the Cold War.

Picture : Politico

“It started out as strategic sympathy for the Soviet Union, in the backdrop of India getting independence from the British. So it’s an anti-colonial experience, anti-imperialism,” says Rajeswari (Raji) Pillai Rajagopalan, a political scientist at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “And as the Cold War picked up, it became a more anti-West, anti-U.S. sentiment they shared.”

The end of the Cold War didn’t change that. Neither has the Ukraine war. India’s nationalist TV news channels often accuse the United States — rather than Russia — of doing more to ruin Ukraine.

In November, Modi’s top diplomat, S. Jaishankar, traveled to Moscow, where he stood alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and called their countries’ relationship “steady and time-tested.”

Modi has called for a cease-fire in Ukraine, without condemning Russia’s attacks. Some of his political opponents say that doesn’t go far enough, and point toward India’s actions rather than its words.

“The actions that India is engaged in so far do not reflect any remorse or even mild criticism of the events in Ukraine,” says Praveen Chakravarty, a political economist affiliated with the opposition Indian National Congress party. “If anything, it seems to aid and abet.”

Factor #2: India wants cheap Russian oil

India has one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. (The IMF forecasts 6.8% growth for India this year, compared to just 1.6% for the United States.) By 2030, India is forecast to be the third-largest economy in the world, behind the U.S. and China.

It’s already the third-largest oil consumer in the world. And it needs even more to fuel all that growth. But because India has few oil and gas reserves of its own, most of the oil it needs has to be imported. It’s also a relatively poor country, particularly sensitive to price.

That’s where Russia comes in. India still buys more oil from Middle Eastern countries than Russia. But its Russian share has skyrocketed. In December, India imported 1.2 million barrels of Russian crude. That’s a whopping 33 times more than a year earlier. In January, the share of Russian crude rose to 28% of India’s oil imports — up from just 0.2% before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Indian officials have defended those purchases by saying it’s their job to find bargains for their citizens. And Jaishankar, the foreign minister, has suggested it’s hypocritical of wealthier Westerners to ask them not to.

“Europe has managed to reduce its imports [of Russian gas] while doing it in a manner that is comfortable,” Jaishankar told an Austrian TV channel last month. “At 60,000 euros or whatever is your per capita income, you’re so caring about your population. I have a population at 2,000 dollars [per capita annual income]. I also need energy, and I am not in a position to pay high prices for oil.”

Last April, Jaishankar visited the White House for a virtual summit between Modi and President Biden. There, U.S. officials told their Indian counterparts they understand India’s energy needs and were hoping only that India would not “accelerate” Russian oil purchases.

India basically ignored that. But the Biden administration now says it’s actually fine with that.

Earlier this month, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffery Pyatt said Washington is “comfortable” with India’s approach on Russian oil. And Karen Donfried, the assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs, said the U.S. is not looking at sanctioning India for this.

Here’s one possible explanation for Washington’s change of heart: India is buying Russian crude at deep discounts — something the West can’t do because of sanctions, or doesn’t want to do because of the optics. Then India refines that same Russian oil and exports it onward to the U.S. and Europe. So the West gets Russian oil, without getting its hands dirty.

“U.S. treasury officials have two main goals: keep the market well supplied and deprive Russia of oil revenue,” Ben Cahill, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, recently told Bloomberg. “They are aware that Indian and Chinese refiners can earn bigger margins by buying discounted Russian crude and exporting products at market prices. They’re fine with that.”

Factor #3: Moscow is India’s biggest arms dealer

India’s military has historically been equipped with Russian and Soviet weapons. Most of those contracts date back to the Cold War, a conflict in which India was officially non-aligned but close to Moscow. So most of India’s arsenal was — and still is — Soviet-made.

By now, some those 30-something-year-old weapons are deteriorating. “Let’s just go to the [Indian] Air Force. Most of those Sukhois and MiGs [fighter aircraft] are referred to as ‘flying coffins.’ Very often Indian pilots die when they are testing, or flying, those,” says Aparna Pande, a political scientist at the Hudson Institute in Washington. “So India knows they need to be replaced.”

Indian defence experts may have been the only ones not surprised to see Russian tanks falling apart in Ukraine this past year, Pande says. They’ve been unhappy with Russian equipment for years.

So the Indian government has started replacing some of its Soviet-made aircraft and artillery with French, Israeli and American versions. But it’s a time-consuming and costly task to update India’s entire arsenal, Pande notes.

“Let’s say my entire apartment had only IKEA furniture, and now I decide, ‘OK now I want to change it, and I want West Elm.’ I cannot just replace one chair. I have to change my entire dining table and all the chairs,” Pande explains. “So what India has done [in terms of updating its weapons] is piecemeal. But those big ticket items are still Russian-made. So that’s the change which has to happen, and this is what will reduce the Russian influence.”

Despite the Indian government’s efforts to diversify, Moscow continues to be India’s biggest arms dealer — more than 30 years after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Russia has reportedly supplied India with around $13 billion in weapons in the past five years alone. There’s one big reason India needs all these weapons: China.

Factor #4: India wants to prevent Putin from getting closer to China’s Xi Jinping

India’s biggest foreign policy preoccupation is not Ukraine or Russia. It’s China. The two countries share a more than 2,000-mile disputed border. Satellite imagery shows China may be encroaching on Indian territory. Soldiers clashed there in June 2020, and again this past December.

And as the West isolates Russia, India fears Putin is already looking eastward, toward Beijing. “You’re already seeing a very close Russia-China relationship emerging, even in the last few years,” says the ORF’s Rajagopalan. “So the current Indian approach is, we don’t want Russia to go completely into the Chinese fold. Because for India, China has become the No. 1 national security threat.”

Despite the Ukraine war, that’s true for Washington too. So even if Washington doesn’t like it, Biden administration officials say they understand why India has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and they’re willing to grant India a wide berth.

They may even see India’s continued ties with Putin as useful — to try to mitigate just how far the Ukraine war drives him into Xi Jinping’s arms.

Vikas Kumar Vikash And Pejavar Murari Named Among The 75 Pride Of India Awardees

Chicago, IL: February 11, 2023 The Global Strategic Alliance G.S.A. India @75 Expo USA announced the Pride of India awards being presented to 75 outstanding Indians from different walks of life for their impactful work to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. An initiative of  Indian diaspora from Chicago, U.S.A.

 

Vikash Kumar Vikash, IPS, Inspector General Of Police and Managing Director of Mysore Sales International Ltd, MSIL, Bangalore was named as one of the 75 Pride of India awardees for his dynamic leadership in MSIL’s outstanding growth postcovid particularly in promoting the use of renewable energy and aggressive marketing which made MSIL successfully venture into the tourism and hospitality sector which reaped profits.

 

Pejavar Murari, IAS (Retd), Adviser to the President of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industries, FICCI, New Delhi, India was also awarded in recognition of his distinguished career in the Indian Administrative Service including being the former Secretary to President of India, R. Venkataraman. The citation recalled Murari’s entrepreneurial leadership including being the current Chairman of ABAN Offshore Ltd, Chairman, Advisory Board Lochan & Company and Chairman, Lepra India Trust, New Delhi. Murari also serves as the Director of Bajaj Auto, Xpro India, Idea Cellular and Fortis Mallar. Murari is also on the Governing Council of Loyola Institute of Business Administration, LIBA Chennai and the Business Advisory Council of Great Lakes Institute of Management.

 

Ms. Seeta Bala, G.S.A. Awards Jury Chair announced the other Pride of India awards including 17year old Aryan Lakshmanan, Grade 11 Student, L’école Chempaka School, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Praful Billore, CEO, MBA Chaiwala, Indore, India, Dr. Chitti R. Moorthy, Radiation Oncologist, Westchester, New York, Madhu Uppal, Community Activist, Naperville, Illinois, Dr. Paul Dhinakaran, Chancellor, Karunya University, Coimbatore, India, Cottalango Leon, 2016 Academy Award Winner, Scientific & Tech Achievement in Animation, Los Angeles, Rajkumar Rajappa, Chairman, President NHEL Small Scale Industries Association, Trichy, Tamil Nadu, Ms. Geeta Radhakrishnan, CPA, New York, Dr. Sambhu Banik, Eminent Clinical Psychologist & Former Member, Presidential Commission on Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Washington D.C., USA, Sukhpal Singh Dhanoa, White House Correspondent & Bureau Chief PTC News, Washington, D.C., Ms. Rajeswari Rajagopal, Kids Education Counselor, Surakhsha Bhuja Foundation, Chennai, Tamil- Nadu, Ravi Karkara, Global Champion of Sustainability, New York, Tenkasi ‘s Ananthan Ayyasamy, State Vice President, Tamil Nadu BJP Party, Padmashri S.V. Rama Rao, eminent Artiste & Educationalist, Palos Hills, Illinois, Simarpreet Singh, CEO, Hartek Solar, New Delhi, Manav Subodh, Founder- Global Ambassador UC Berkeley & Founder 1M1B, New Delhi, Usha Boddapu, CEO/Founder, Esolvit, Austin, Texas, Padmanabhan Venkatesan, Treasurer, World Federation of Tamil Youth, Phoenix, Arizona, 25 year old Ulhas Satyanarayan, Member, India’s Basketball Team, New Delhi, & First Indian to play in European Professional Basketball League, Moldovia, Sushil Mitruka, Chairman and Managing Director of Kusum Udyog Ltd & Group of Industries, Siliguri, India, Shweta Baid, First Indian Alderwoman of Aurora City, IL, Thirumala Kumbum, CEO, Value Financial Services, Texas and Dr. Mohammed Jameel, Member Illinois Physician Disciplinary Board, Springfield, IL among others.

 

Dr. Vijay G Prabhakar, President, GSA India@75 Expo USA said that this epic one of kind Expo brought together ANCIENT INDIA and NEW INDIA on a single platform that included a vibrant tradeshow, meaningful daily workshops, informative plenary sessions on India’s growth, interactive sessions on Yoga, Meditation, & Ayurveda and a rich cultural extravaganza of India’s dance and music.

 

Dr. Ajit Pant, Chairman, GSA India@75 Expo USA said that the three day Expo held from December 15 to 17, 2022 at Lisle, Naperville was the most impactful event of 2022. Dr Pant added that the Expo Sequel will be held in six major cities including New York, Atlanta, Houston, Miami, San Francisco and Washington D.C. throughout 2023.

 

Shree Gurusamy, CEO GSA India@75 Expo USA that the theme is Made in India Made for the World and that the showcasing of India will continue through Amrit Kaal, the next 25 years.

 

26 year old Sailesh Singh, Founder of Youth 2047, Siliguri India declared that GSA India@100 Expo will be celebrated in 2047 in the U.S.A and India. Dr. Vasavi Chakka, Dean of the Global Eye International Institute of Leadership, New York announced that short term Leadership Training Programs to focus on U.S.A – India relationships in six sectors starting from June 2023 will be conducted to create tomorrow’s inclusive leaders today. This will be an excellent opportunity for both Indians and Indian diaspora throughout the world to interact with the U.S. Congressional leadership and network with experts in the different sectors, added Dr Chakka.

 

Seeta Bala, G.S.A. India Expo Awards Jury Chair said that the Pride of India Awardees will be given annually to outstanding Indians including the Indian diaspora under different categories in recognition of their inclusive leadership to empower our Community. Seeta Bala added that the impactful G.S.A. India @75 Expo is hosting Sequels across North America, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Australia Continents throughout Amrit Kaal.

 

Nominations for 2023 G.S.A Pride of India Awards can be emailed to [email protected] on or before April 22, 2023.

New Rules Will Reduce Wait For US Visa

US visa applications can be accepted outside India

With many travelers still years behind on getting their US visa appointment, the United States is making every effort to shorten this duration. In its latest initiative to cut the backlog, the US Embassy in India has announced that those planning a trip to the Americas can now apply for a business or tourist visa through the US embassy or consulate of another country.

Most people applying for US visas right now have over 500 days of wait time until their appointment. Citing the example of Thailand, the US embassy in India tweeted, “Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination.

For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months.” Meanwhile, the embassy has also announced that applications to renew US visas can be submitted via file-hosting service Dropbox now, while clarifying that renewal requests would not be accepted via e-mails.

 More than 1 lakh visa applications have been processed in the month of January alone this year, which is more than any month since July 2019, the mission noted.

The US embassy and its consulates in India are preparing to receive a fresh record number of visa applications from students, according to a PTI report. US embassy and consulates in India already broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single year in 2022, top US State department official Ned Price had earlier informed.

 The country is also expecting other visa applications to increase – to around 1.2 million this year – making India the second-largest country for US visa ops after China, as per the PTI report.

The US has announced a series of initiatives to cut the backlog in visa appointments. The US Embassy in India today announced that some visa applicants will now be able to seek appointments in other countries.

The move is aimed at reducing the backlog, with the waiting period for a US visa as high as 800 days at some centers in India.

  1. The US embassy today said that Indians applying for a business or tourist visa will be able to apply for an appointment at embassies or consulates outside India.
  2. “Do you have upcoming international travel? If so, you may be able to get a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your destination. For example, @USEmbassyBKK has opened B1/B2 appointment capacity for Indians who will be in Thailand in the coming months. (sic),” the US embassy India tweeted.
  3. The embassy cited Thailand as an example, saying that the country has the capacity for B1 and B2 visas.
  4. The US has also announced a series of other initiatives to cut the backlog in visa appointments, including increasing the strength of consular staff and organising special interviews for first-time applicants.
  5. During the Covid pandemic, a lot of the staff at the US embassies had been let go as the number of applications was low during that period. India was one of the very few countries where applications for US visas saw a major upswing after coronavirus-related travel restrictions were lifted.
  6. The US has announced that it will hire more staff by summer this year.
  7. People looking to renew their US visa can submit their application through a dropbox. Since their biometrics are already with the US government, they will not be asked to appear in person for another biometric evaluation.
  8. The US embassy and consulates are expecting to receive a record number of visas from Indian students this year and hence are working on a multi-pronged approach to cut backlog, according to John Ballard, the consular chief at the US Consulate General in Mumbai.
  9. The US embassy in Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad have also started conducting “special Saturday interview days” to aid first-time applicants.
  10. The US mission in India released more than 2,50,000 additional B1/B2 appointments two weeks ago.
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