How effective is the US pressure on India now? The answer to this was found in Modi’s visit to Russia

New Delhi: Recently, PM Modi’s visit to Russia was discussed a lot. It was discussed more in America and other countries than in India. America was keeping a keen eye on this visit of PM Modi. It was being said that Modi’s visit there could affect relations with India. This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to Russia after the Russia-Ukraine war. That is why there was a lot of attention on this visit. America and European countries were feeling a different kind of restlessness due to the deepening relations between India and Russia. The way statements came from America after Modi’s visit made one thing more clear that India’s stand has not changed.

Was such a response from America possible before?
As a result of this, the Biden administration of America has said that despite concerns about its relations with Russia, India will remain a strategic partner of Washington. The Pentagon press secretary told reporters in Washington that India and Russia have had a long-standing relationship. From the US point of view, India is a strategic partner with whom we continue to have full and frank dialogue, including its relations with Russia. On the other hand, the US State Department spokesperson said that the US has been very clear about its concerns about India’s relations with Russia. We have expressed our concerns directly to the Indian government in private and we continue to do so. There has been no change in this. In such a situation, the question is whether such statements were possible earlier.

America also accepted that the friendship between India and Russia is well known
The deep friendship between India and Russia is well known but one question is whether the US would have reacted in a similar way a few years ago. After the Russia-Ukraine war, the US imposed several sanctions on Russia to cause economic damage. These included excluding Russia from the international payment system ‘SWIFT’. This created problems for Russia in receiving foreign payments. Not only this, there was also a hidden warning in this for the countries doing business with Russia. Amidst this decision, India took a different path and decided to buy crude oil from Russia on a large scale. Due to the change in global economic conditions after the Ukraine conflict and India’s efforts in this direction, Delhi has now started transacting in rupees with more than 20 countries. Due to all these changes, the dominance of America and its dollar has started decreasing. In the background of all these changes, close relations between India and Russia played an important role.India stayed away from voting, still maintains its stand
Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, his/her talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin were closely watched by Western countries. In a conversation with Putin, Modi told him/her that the solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed amid bombs and guns. At the same time, voting took place on a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly in which Russia has been appealed to immediately stop aggression against Ukraine. India stayed away from this voting. In the 193-member General Assembly, 99 countries voted in favor of the resolution. 9 countries including Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Russia and Syria voted against it. 60 countries including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Sri Lanka stayed away from voting. A comment by US Ambassador Eric Garcetti came out recently in which he/she said that we do not see our future only in India and India does not see its future only in America, but the world can see big things in our relations. This statement can be interpreted in many different ways, but what is being said repeatedly from India’s side is that the country’s interest comes first and it still stands by it, without worrying about who will get angry.