Biden says, Indian response to Russian confrontation “shaky”

US President Joe Biden has termed India’s response to the Russia-Ukraine war as weak. He said India’s response is unstable compared to the rest of the US partners.  President Biden said this while addressing American business leaders in Washington on Monday. Referring to the Quad partner countries, he said, “India has been exceptionally weak in dealing with Putin’s aggression, but Japan has been very tough, so is Australia”.

President Biden said India’s priority was the safety of its citizens and the evacuation of Indians from war-torn Ukraine. However, from every forum, India has repeatedly called for peace talks to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war.

Biden also said that India did not impose any sanctions on Russia like the other Quad partners – Australia, Japan, and the US. It also refused to vote on a motion of censure against Russia in the United Nations.

Referring to NATO after the Quad, Biden praised his key partners in the US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union, and Asia for forming a common front against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The sanctions imposed on Russia include unprecedented sanctions aimed at crippling Russia’s currency, international trade, and Russia access to high-tech goods.

Biden said that NATO is as strong today as it has never been before. NATO and the Pacific have a united front. Putin was not able to fulfill his plan to split NATO.

Indian officials have given a clear answer to the criticism being made by Indian oil refineries about importing oil from Russia at reduced rates. It is being said that while the US-led western countries are imposing sanctions on Russia, India is helping it by importing oil. Indian officials said on this that India is the third-largest consumer of oil in the world. 85 percent of its oil requirement is met by imports. Of this, imports from Russia are marginally less than 1 percent.