While Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin expanded bilateral cooperation, the bonhomie has raised concerns in Washington amid the West’s push to find solutions to the war in Ukraine.Publicly, the Biden administration reiterated that India is the US’ “strategic partner,” with whom they hold “full and frank dialogue,” with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre further stating that New Delhi’s ties to Moscow give it the ability to urge Putin to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Privately, Biden officials have been irked by the timing of Modi’s visit and the hug he shared with Putin ahead of the crucial NATO summit—which began on July 9 and ends on July 11—with talks on the Ukraine situation remaining top priority.According to a report by Bloomberg, US officials expressed concern that the Indian leader’s visit to Russia, his first in five years, has fueled criticism from both within and outside the American government towards closer ties with Modi’s administration.The report adds that US officials had acknowledged that the visit was difficult and uncomfortable for the Biden administration. They had also conveyed their concerns during a series of meetings and phone calls with Indian counterparts in recent weeks, the Bloomberg report said, quoting private conversations held with US and Indian officials who had requested anonymity.In one such call, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, a strong advocate for US-India ties, expressed concern about the visit to Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, highlighting that the timing was particularly problematic for Washington. However, he also assured his counterparts that US acknowledged India’s longstanding ties with Russia.Meanwhile, Biden officials also expressed confidence that the US-India relationship would withstand the recent episode through continued frank discussions. This sentiment was also reflected in the measured, yet strong, remarks made by spokespersons of the Pentagon, the White House, and the US State Department, separately, when reacting to Indo-Russian ties and Modi’s Moscow visit.”India and Russia have had a relationship for a very long time. From a US perspective, India is a strategic partner with whom we continue to engage in full and frank dialogue to include their relationship with Russia. As it relates to the NATO summit being this week, of course, like you, the world is focused on that,” Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters at a news conference.On the other hand, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference that the US has been quite clear about its “concerns about India’s relationship with Russia.” “We have expressed those privately directly to the Indian government, and continue to do so. And that has not changed,” Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said India is a strategic partner with whom the US engages in full and frank dialogue including their relationship with Russia.”…So we think it’s critical that all countries including India support efforts to realise an enduring and just peace when it comes to Ukraine,” Jean-Pierre said, adding: “We also believe India’s long-standing relationship with Russia gives it the ability to urge President Putin to end his brutal war, an unprovoked war in Ukraine. It is for President Putin to end. President Putin started the war, and he can end the war.”During his two-day visit, Modi described Russia as India’s “all-weather friend” and expressed special appreciation for “his friend” President Putin for steering the India-Russia friendship to greater heights over the last two decades. His visit, accompanied by the warm hug he shared with Putin, coincided with a deadly Russian strike on a Kyiv children’s hospital, prompting sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other governments in Europe and North America.”It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.However, the Prime Minister reiterated to Putin that “war cannot solve problems” and urged “peace through dialogue” during their bilateral summit talks on Tuesday.”I know that war cannot solve problems, solutions and peace talks can’t succeed among bombs, guns, and bullets,” Modi added. “And we need to find a way to peace through dialogue.” Modi also conveyed to Putin, “When innocent children are murdered, one sees them die, the heart pains and that pain is unbearable,” referring to the Russian missile attack on the children’s hospital in Ukraine’s capital.For the West, India remains a strategic partner as it relies on New Delhi to counterbalance China and its expanding influence across the Asia-Pacific region. However, Russia remains a point of contention, with Western powers urging New Delhi to distance itself from Moscow, despite India’s longstanding strategic ties dating back to the Soviet era.These ties were further strengthened during this week’s bilateral talks in Moscow, where both nations signed MoUs and agreements spanning trade, climate, and research and plans to boost bilateral trade to over USD 100 billion by 2030 through increased investments, using national currencies for trade transactions, and enhancing cooperation across sectors such as energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.For decades, Kremlin has remained as India’s largest weapons supplier. However, its share of Indian arms imports has decreased significantly: from 76% in 2009–13 to 58% in 2014–18, and down to 36% in 2019–23. This has coincided with New Delhi turning to the West, mainly France and the US along with its indigenization push to fulfill its arms procurement.At the same time, India has emerged as a significant buyer of Russian crude, filling a crucial export gap for Russia after it lost traditional buyers in Europe. This has fundamentally reshaped their economic relationship, enabling India to save billions of dollars while enhancing Moscow’s financial resources, including its capacity for military expenditure.
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