Biden Administration prepares to mount pressure on India over its relations

Washington: Karen Donfried, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, has assured that the US has no intention of imposing sanctions on India even though it is buying large quantities of fuel from Russia. But this generosity of the US was once again found not genuine. It was revealed in the report by the Democratic Party presented at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Senate. The report points to India’s relationship with Russia and the decline of democratic values and expresses concern over it. The report advised the US to focus on these two things about India while implementing an Indo-Pacific policy against China.

India has increased its purchase of fuel from Russia significantly, and in the last few months, Russia has become the country that supplies the largest amount of fuel to India. The US had warned India against this. However, India ignored it and continued to buy fuel from Russia. This matter is bothering the US. Major countries around the world are not buying fuel from Russia following the US his instructions, while some countries have drastically reduced their purchases. But by not doing so, India made the whole world aware that its foreign policy is independent. It has caused repercussions, and the countries of the Gulf as well as others countries, have refused to accept the US demands, like India. That is why the US seems to be trying, again and again, to force India to change its policy.

The true stand of the Biden administration has come to light from the report presented by the ruling Democratic Party in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US Senate. The report suggested that the US should address its concerns about India while strategising against China for the Indo-Pacific region. India’s relations with Russia and the decline of democratic values and institutions in the country are major concerns, the report notes. Along with India’s relationship with Russia, the Biden administration’s ploy to target India’s democracy has again been exposed before the world.

On the one hand, the Pentagon, the US Defense Department headquarters, claims that the US is ready to invest heavily in India’s defence sector for the Indo-Pacific region. Not only this, but the Pentagon has also claimed that India is the US’s most important partner in maintaining the balance in the Indo-Pacific region. At the same time, the Biden administration is constantly sending the message that it expects India to act according to its instructions. Realising that an aggressive policy towards India could lead to backlash, the Biden administration has been using different channels to pressure India to withdraw from its cooperation with Russia rather than issuing direct threats. At the same time, the Biden administration seems to be making moves to tarnish India’s image by raising questions about India’s democracy.

As it has recognised these tactics, India has hinted at taking up some initiatives. According to this, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had recently informed that efforts had been started to prove that India is the mother of democracy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reminded everyone that India’s democratic tradition has a long history, and from a historical point of view, democracy has flourished in India since ancient times. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar recently said that this information is being propagated abroad.

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