US to continue engaging with India over Ukraine: White House ahead of Quad Summit

The US is engaging with India over the
issue of Ukraine and this will continue at the Quad summit when President Joe
Biden meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Japan next month, White House Press
Secretary Jen Psaki has indicated.

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“We have had a number of
engagements, as you know, with leaders in India about our approach to
supporting the Ukrainians in this war, whether that is sanctions and the
enormous sanctions package we’ve put in place or, of course, the assistance
we’ve provided. We will convey the same sentiments in this meeting,” Psaki
said on Thursday.

She was responding to a question on the
Quad summit in Japan in May and how the issue of Ukraine would be raised or
discussed.

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Her comments came amid increasing
Western pressure on India to limit its economic ties with Russia and oppose the
Russian invasion of Ukraine.

India has not yet publicly condemned the
Russian attack on Ukraine and has been pressing for the resolution of the
conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

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The Quad comprises Japan, India,
Australia and the United States. The White House announced on Wednesday that
President Biden will be meeting Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the
Quad Summit in Japan.

Though the date of the Quad Summit has
not been announced, the Japanese media has reported that it could be held on May
24.

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“This meeting is several weeks
away, so a lot can certainly happen. And as you know, other members of Quad
have also been vital partners and supporters of the Ukrainians’ effort to fight
the war, including Japan,” Psaki told reporters.

“I mean, Japan — just as an example
— has not only provided a range of assistance, but they’ve also agreed to
divert some of the LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) resources to help Europe. So
there’s a number of steps they have also taken that will be a part of the
discussion, she said.

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“And certainly, the President will
provide an update on what we’re doing and where things stand at that point in
time,” Psaki said.

“We’re just not quite there on
previewing the agenda yet,” she added.

In New Delhi, India on Thursday once
again said its objective has been to stabilise its economic engagement with
Russia and that an inter-ministerial group is looking at resolving issues relating
to payment mechanisms with Moscow.

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Replying to a question at a media
briefing, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said there is a
possibility that the Western sanctions against Russia might impact India and
the inter-ministerial group is looking into the issue.

“Our objective has been to see how
(we) can stabilise the economic transactions or economic engagement that we are
doing with Russia in the current context,” he said.

Bagchi said an inter-ministerial group
led by the Finance Ministry is looking at the payment mechanisms.