West Concerned Over India's Role in Supplying Sanctioned Goods to Russia
Indian growing role in supplying goods to Russia is ratcheting up concern at the West, especially post-international sanctions that would be slapped on the country after it invaded Ukraine. As India deepens its economic tie-ups with Russia, it will now prompt questioning from the world at large about its implications on isolating Moscow and sustaining the sanctions regime.
Reports that India's sanction has consented to allowing exports that comprised parts and technology that could aid in the execution of Russian military operations have further provoked criticism from critics in the West. These claims have further ignited fears that India is compromising efforts by sanctions set to make Russia think again about its aggressive moves against Ukraine.
India has been more or less a robust follower of the policy of non-alignment and has sought to keep balance in its bilateral relations with both Russia and Western nations. India condemned the violence in Ukraine but refused to take a position for the imposition of sanctions on Russia citing the fact that India has been maintaining its relations with Moscow since the First War and it has greatly relied upon Russian defense equipment.
Indications have been emerging recently that trade between India and Russia has soared through imports by New Delhi of significant quantities of crude oil at discounted rates. The ruckus this has created in the Western camp is plain: Western allies believe this increase in trade could be helping out the Russian economy and military capabilities.
US officials are asking India to reexamine its position and not let itself become a tool to circumvent sanctions on Russia. "We have been clear with India about our expectations and the need for all countries to abide by the sanctions imposed on Russia," a senior US diplomat said.
As tensions mount over the war in Ukraine, the international community waits with bated breath to see what decision India will make. In fact, its delicate balancing act between the historical relations it has shared with Russia and balancing the complaints of its Western alliance is ever-growing in its complexity.
It also underlines the geopolitics here, in which countries are trying to balance their foreign policy priorities within emerging alliances and new security threats. The eventual outcome will determine how India is perceived on the world stage and in its relations with both Russia and with Western countries.
