WASHINGTON - The United States has voiced its disapproval of India engaging in "business as usual" with Russia, but said President Barack Obama will go ahead with his visit to India, which remains an ‘important partner’.
"No. India remains an important partner. Obviously, our economic relationship is a big part of what we continue to work on," State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters at the daily press briefing on Friday when asked if the 20 deals signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's just-concluded visit to India would lead to cancellation of Obama's plans to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade on January 26.
Russia is currently under wide-ranging sanctions by the United States and the European Union for its support of pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine as well as for Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.
The United Satates, she said, had seen reports about India and Russia signing agreements in oil exploration, infrastructure, defence and nuclear energy including construction of 12 Russian-built nuclear units in India over the next two decades.
"We continue to monitor it, but we haven't looked at all the specifics of the contracts, for obvious reasons," Psaki said. But "We continue to urge all countries not to conduct business as usual with Russia." Noting that "there are already sanctions in place" imposed on Russia by the US and its Western allies, Psaki said it was not calling for sanctions on other countries.
"In general, though, given the situation, it shouldn't be business as usual," she said.
Asked if the US had spoken to Indians before Putin's trip that it's not the right time to do business with Russia, Psaki said: "Well, we've been engaged in that discussion." "I'd remind you India doesn't support the actions of Russia and the actions - their intervention into Ukraine," she said. "They've been pretty outspoken about that as well." On the inclusion of the Prime Minister of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, in Putin's delegation to India, which too has upset Washington, Psaki said: "I don't have anything new to offer on that."
Asked again if there's any change in Obama's trip to India, the spokesperson said emphatically: "No. No, No."