US lawmaker praises PM Modi despite India agreeing to buy Russian oil

A top US lawmaker has praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for attempting to broker peace between Russia and the US on the Ukraine matter, as per PTI. 

Modi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and conveyed that India was ready to contribute to peace efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine, and asked for violence to cease. 

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, one of the seniormost Democratic lawmakers in the US, commented on this, saying “Well, I think that right now he (PM Modi) is trying to broker a peace between Russia and America with Ukraine. I think that’s a very positive goal to have. We (India and US) have strong economic ties, we have strong peace ties, and we have strong similar values, I would say we have the same form of government”. 

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The 76-year-old added that the important thing is that Modi is trying for peace. Maloney elaborated to PTI “One thing is true that if you don’t try it, you’ll never succeed. You have to keep on trying. For the sake of the world, I hope that anyone working for peace between Ukraine, Russia and the world is helpful in making that happen”, adding, “This is a very dangerous time, because we can’t afford a third World War. We’re nuclear powers. We can’t afford it. We have to make an agreement and the suffering of the people is just too much. … loss of life, brutal destruction. I am personally very proud of President Biden”. 

Maloney continued, “He brought our allies and Asia and our allies in Europe together very swiftly in a unified front for democracy and to protect the people of Ukraine against a brutal invasion that we’re still working to try to stop”. 

US-India ties and the threat of sanctions 

Maloney’s words about Washington and Delhi’s relationship have been echoed by other US lawmakers who have found India’s stance on the Ukraine issue unsatisfactory but unsurprising. 

There’s been an acknowledgement that the nation largely depends on Russia for defence needs, and has shared a long history with the Soviet Union. People in the US government have also noted how China’s threat has driven India closer to Russia while taking into account the newly blooming relationship with the US and believing that with increased reliance on Washington for defence systems, India could be moving away from Russia. 

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However, the American consensus isn’t too favourable towards India. Some in mainstream media have noted that India should be sanctioned for continuing to have trade deals with Russia and not taking a stand in the Ukraine issue. 

There will be oil 

Despite high praise from the US lawmaker, India has gone about its own way in deciding to buy oil from Russia. This comes amid a ban on Russian oil imports to the US, due to President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine. The UK and European Union (EU) have also followed suit, moving to reduce dependence on Russian energy. 

However, India has picked Russia amid rising fuel costs, since it allows the country to procure energy at lower rates. The nation is working on a rupee-ruble payment in accordance with Russia’s wishes. 

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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had already said that India buying oil at discounted rates wouldn’t be a violation of US sanctions but added “also think about where you want to stand when history books are written at this moment in time. Support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact”.