Blinken says India developed ties with Russia as the US couldn't earlier

Blinken says India developed ties with Russia as the US couldn’t earlier.

New Delhi created its cooperation with Moscow out of necessity, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, because the US was not in a position to do so previously.

“In the case of India, there has been a long-standing friendship. And when we weren’t in a position to be a partner, Russia became a partner of choice for India,” On Wednesday, he told lawmakers.

“We are now putting resources into that effort. As a result, I believe that the United States and India are becoming more strategically aligned, “Blinken remarked.

“Of course, China is a huge part of that,” Blinken stated during a Congressional hearing by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations in response to a question from Senator William Hagerty.

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Blinken’s opinions on the India-US relationship were sought by Hagerty.

“What I see before us,” Hagerty added, “is something I’m sure will be very frustrating in the near term when we have our differences, and you deal with it every day.”

“However, in the long run, I believe our strategic alliance with India provides us with the opportunity to do greater good in the twenty-first century,” he said.

In response, Blinken stated that he agrees with the Senator’s viewpoint.

“I believe this alliance has the potential to be one of the most essential and foundational partnerships we will have in the next decades,” he said.

US President Joe Biden has spent “a lot of time directly talking with Prime Minister Modi and India’s leadership,” according to Blinken.

“We’ve re-energized the Quad, bringing India, Australia, Japan, and the United States together. This has been a critical vehicle for deepening our relationship with India on many fronts,” he stated.

“What’s interesting is that this is a pivotal moment in strategy. Many nations are now reconsidering some of their connections and interests, notably Russia,” said the United States’ top diplomat.