Lavrov’s visit coincides with that of US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. According to reports, state-run Indian Oil Corporation has bought three million barrels of Russian crude oil since Ukraine war
File image of Sergey Lavrov and S Jaishankar. Image credit: ANI
The United States and Australia on Wednesday criticised India over media reports that New Delhi is considering a proposal from Moscow to join a system developed by Russian central banks for bilateral payments.
Such a move will undermine the sanctions Western nations imposed on Russia after it launched an attack on Ukraine on 24 February.
US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo called reports of the arrangement “deeply disappointing,” while adding that she has not seen the details, Bloomberg reported.
The remarks came a day before Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to New Delhi.
“Now is the time to stand on the right side of history, and to stand with the United States and dozens of other countries, standing up for freedom, democracy, and sovereignty with the Ukrainian people, and not funding and fueling and aiding President Putin’s war,” Bloomberg quoted Gina Raimondo as saying.
Raimondo made these remarks during a press briefing with Australian trade minister Dan Tehan in Washington, the report added.
Echoing Raimondo’s sentiments, Tehan said, “We’ll continue working with India, both within the QUAD and on a bilateral nature, to make sure we’re doing everything that we can to ensure that rules-based approach continues,” The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The QUAD or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a strategic partnership between India, Japan, and the US.
The reports have not been confirmed officially.
On Monday, the Indian government said that it was not considering buying Russian oil in rupee at the moment.
“At present, there is no contract or proposal under consideration of oil undertakings in the public sector with Russia or any other country to buy crude oil in Indian Rupees,” MoS petroleum and natural gas Rameshvar Teli told in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Mint citing reports said that the country’s state-run Indian Oil Corporation has bought three million barrels of crude oil from Russia since the Ukraine war began.
Lavrov’s India visit
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov will be in India from 31 March to 1 April.
This is his first trip to the country since the Ukraine war started.
Lavrov’s visit to India coincides with that of US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh and British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
Both Truss and Singh are currently in New Delhi.
Notably, Indian-American Singh has been a key architect of US sanctions against Russia.
Moscow and New Delhi have shared close ties since the time of the Cold War.
India has abstained from voting against Russia at the UN. It has instead called for a ceasefire and diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
India has also sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India was the top buyer of Russian arms from 2016 to 2020.
With inputs from agencies
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