'Not looking at the situation in a one-sided way': Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov praises India's neutral stand on Ukraine conflict

New Delhi: Russia’s foreign minister praised India’s approach to Ukraine on Friday, as he held talks likely aimed at pressing New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn Moscow’s invasion.

“These days our Western colleagues would like to reduce any meaningful international issue to the crisis in Ukraine… (We) appreciate that India is taking this situation in the entirety of facts, not just in a one-sided way,” Sergei Lavrov said in New Delhi as he met counterpart S. Jaishankar.

“Friendship is the key word to describe the history of our relations and our relations were very sustainable during many difficult times in the past,” Lavrov said, speaking in English.

India has abstained from United Nations resolutions censuring Moscow and continues to buy oil from Russia, which is its biggest arms supplier.

Jaishankar “emphasised the importance of cessation of violence and ending hostilities”, the Indian foreign ministry said.

“Differences and disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy and by respect for international law, UN Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.”

Lavrov arrived in Delhi on Thursday from China, where he had hailed Beijing as part of a new “multipolar, just, democratic world order”.

Moscow, facing massive Western sanctions in response to its invasion of Ukraine in February, has declared a “no-limits partnership” with China, which has also refused to condemn Russia’s actions.

In contrast, Delhi shares Western alarm over Beijing’s assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, with 20 Indian and four Chinese troops killed in a brawl on their disputed Himalayan border in 2020.

Daleep Singh, Washington’s chief sanctions strategist, was quoted by local media as saying that India could not rely on Russia if there was another clash.

“Russia is going to be the junior partner in this relationship with China. And the more leverage that China gains over Russia, the less favourable that is for India,” Singh said in a parallel visit to Delhi on Thursday.

“I don’t think anyone would believe that if China once again breached the Line of (Actual) Control, that Russia would come running to India’s defence,” he said, referring to the India-China border.

Rupee-ruble mechanism

India and Russia are working on a rupee-ruble mechanism to facilitate trade and get around Western sanctions on Russian banks, according to media reports.

Russia has written to India’s defence ministry requesting clearance of payments worth $1.3 billion that have been halted since last month, according to the Economic Times newspaper.

Singh said the US was ready to help India – the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer – diversify its energy and defence supplies.

But he added that there would be consequences for countries seeking to circumvent the sanctions.

“I come here in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of our sanctions, the importance of joining us, to express a shared resolve and to advance shared interests. And yes, there are consequences to countries that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill the sanctions,” he said.

“We are very keen for all countries, especially our allies and partners, not to create mechanisms that prop up the ruble and that attempt to undermine the dollar-based financial system,” he said.

India is part of the so-called Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia – seen as a bulwark against China.

After the 2020 clash on the China border, India rushed large amounts of military hardware to the frontier, most of it Russian-origin.

Lavrov was due to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Friday, when he said he will pass on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “best regards”.

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