Ex-Foreign Secretary of India calls out absurdity of US criticizing Russia-China ties

(MENAFN) A former Indian foreign secretary has rejected US accusations that New Delhi is too close to Moscow and Beijing, describing the criticism as “absurd.”

His remarks came after a senior White House official accused India of “getting in bed with authoritarians” due to its stronger diplomatic engagement with Russia and China.

“The absurdity of his claims is that [US President Donald] Trump himself has engaged with [Russian] President Vladimir Putin,” the diplomat said. “They met in Alaska where they seriously discussed not only ending the [Ukraine] conflict but also normalizing ties. At the same time, Trump has reached out to China, paused tariffs, and even said he wants to visit Beijing. Is Navarro listening to his own president?”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, along with meetings with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, has drawn extensive attention in Western media. Despite this, critics in Washington have said it is a “shame to see Modi getting in bed with Putin and Xi.”

The former ambassador to Russia defended India’s longstanding ties with Moscow, arguing they cannot be compared with temporary or opportunistic alignments. “Russia has never sanctioned us, whereas the US has sanctioned India for decades – and now again for buying oil and defense equipment from Moscow,” he noted. “What signal is the US sending? That we can’t fully rely on them, even though our relations are expanding and valuable.”

He also dismissed objections to India’s purchase of Russian oil, stating, “We bought Russian oil from the spot market. No law of any kind had been violated. Frankly, it’s a joke. The EU, the US, and even Ukraine have purchased Russian oil.”

Commenting on Washington’s move to impose 50% tariffs on most Indian goods, the former diplomat added that New Delhi is seeking a fair and balanced trade arrangement.

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