India is believed to have conveyed to the United States that the alternatives to Russian weapons were too expensive, Bloomberg reported quoting people aware of India s recent exchanges with the US following Russia s invasion of Ukraine. The report said India informed US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the drawbacks of alternatives to Russian weapons.Apart from cheap equipment, Russian companies were willing to set up joint ventures with Indian companies, which US defence arms are reluctant, India reportedly told Nuland.US says ready to become India s reliable supplier, to counter Russia dependenceIn March, Victoria Nuland came to India and held a consultation with foreign secretary Harsh Shringla. She also met foreign minister S Jaishankar. Nuland said the Russia China axis is not good for India and US can help with defence supplies. nbsp;During her visit, Victoria Nuland said India should stand against autocracies like Russia and China, notwithstanding the historic relationship between India and Russia, which developed at a time when the US was not ready to have that kind of a relationship with India. No pressure on India over trade with Russia : MEA on sanctions against MoscowHowever, New Delhi is optimistic about the 2 2 dialogue with the US on military cooperation.
Recent public statements from Washington warning India about consequences for purchases of weapons and discounted oil from Russia are contrary to private discussions between the two sides, the people said, asking for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the talks, the Bloomberg report said.India s ongoing trade with Russia following Moscow s war on Ukraine has become a contentious issue on the global platform, with the US pulling out all the stops to persuade New Delhi to reduce its business with Moscow.US defence secretary Lloyd Austin recently said Washington expects India to scale down its dependence on Russian defence equipment, going forward.
