New Delhi: On India’s abstention from voting against Russia in the United Nations Security Council, a senior official from the Joe Biden administration said that the US and India have a very “close and cordial” relationship.
“We have a very close relationship with India. We have discussed our concerns, our shared concerns,” US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters on Monday.
He was responding to the question of Washington’s reaction on India abstaining twice from voting in UNSC.
Last week, India abstained from voting in a meeting of the 15-nation UNSC regarding the drafting of a resolution against Russia for its aggression in Ukraine.
Apart from India, China, and UAE also abstained from voting. To this, Price said, “We have regular engagement with our Indian partners. We have regular engagements with our Emirati partners. We have regular engagement with our European allies and our European partners. So at every level, we are having discussions.”
After India’s abstention, Republican Senator John Cornyn bad expressed his “disappointment” in India.
“Disappointing: India has avoided publicly denouncing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, as New Delhi tries to balance a strategic relationship with Moscow and its role in an emerging coalition of democracies,” Cornyn had said in a tweet on Saturday.
While India’s position remains tricky in the crisis, the statements from US officials come when the US Senate Subcommittee on Near East, Southeast, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism has announced a hearing on the country’s policy towards India on March 2.
Until now, India has not taken a stand against Russia, it has been firm that the country’s priority is the safe evacuation of its citizens in Ukraine. India has been evacuating Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine since Russian forces advanced in the country.