US disappointed about symbolism and timing of PM Modi's Moscow trip, says senior official

WASHINGTON: The US is disappointed about the symbolism and timing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Russia visit when President Joe Biden hosted the NATO summit here, a senior State Department official has told lawmakers concerned over the growing India-Russia ties.

Prime Minister Modi paid an official visit to Russia on July 8-9 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 22nd India – Russia Annual Summit. This was Modi’s first trip to Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict.

India has not yet condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has consistently pitched for a resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

“I could not agree with you more about our disappointment about the symbolism and the timing of Prime Minister Modi's trip to Moscow. We are having those tough conversations with our Indian friends,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu told American lawmakers at a Congressional hearing here on Tuesday.

“I assure you may be if I could just take a moment to put into context that visit. Prime Minister Modi, two weeks before he went to Moscow, also saw (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy on the margins of the G7 summit in Italy,” he said.

The US is looking very carefully at what Modi did when he was in Moscow, he said.

"We did not see any new major defence deals. We saw no major discussion of technology cooperation. In addition, you have Modi having said in front of Putin on live television, his feeling that the war in Ukraine could not be won on the battlefield and the pain that he felt watching the death of children in war,” Lu said.

“A clear reference to the bombing of the children's hospital in Kyiv that happened while he was there. I share your concern about this visit, sir, and we are trying very hard to communicate those concerns directly to the Indians. The Indians, who have cancelled billions of dollars in defence purchases over these last two and a half years because the Russians can't deliver anymore. So we're working very hard on that,” Lu said.

He was referring to the attack on the Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv on July 8 after Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles on cities across Ukraine. At least 42 people were killed including two in the hospital in the strikes.

Lu was responding to a question from Congressman Joe Wilson, a former co-chair of the Caucus of India and Indian Americans on the issue.

“I was shocked and saddened to see the embrace by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who I so respect and admire, embrace war criminal Putin in Moscow on the very day that Putin intentionally launched missiles at the largest children's hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine,” he said.

“Prime Minister Modi is a hero of mine who I have visited in New Delhi, have welcomed twice to address Congress along with being present with Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina at Madison Square Garden and New York City. I was with President Donald Trump at the Howdy Modi welcome for Prime Minister Modi. 40,000 people there in Houston, Texas and it turned out it's something I know. It was the largest assemblage of millionaires in the history of the world,” the Republican Congressman said.

During his talks with Putin on July 9, Prime Minister Modi told President Putin that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed amid bombs and bullets.

India has been stoutly defending its "special and privileged strategic partnership" with Russia and maintained the momentum in the ties notwithstanding the Ukraine conflict.

“The Indian American community has been so successful. The future of India should be with democratic free markets as we have seen. Indian Americans have achieved the highest level of income of any immigrant group in the United States. In fact, Indian Americans make twice the income of the average American and indeed it's due to association with democracy, not dictatorship and the dictatorship that world criminal Putin is trying to restore the failed Soviet Union and he wants to oppress first the people of Russia,” Wilson said.

“It’s to the benefit not of the people of Russia, but to the oligarchs just as the communist regime was to benefit the ranking members of the Communist Party. With that in mind, India should be a beacon for democracy and not dependent on a dictatorship. What can be done, to promote India not being dependent on inferior Russian weapons and cheap commodities? And we know that the gas that's being purchased, the funding of that is going to kill Ukrainians,” he added.