Opinion: Indo-Russian friendship may be insecure, says US Congressman Khanna

Virendra Pandit

New Delhi: India is unlikely to look at Russia as a “secure friend,” a leading Indian-origin member of the US Congress said on Tuesday.

“I don’t think that given the closer ties between Russia and China (in the wake of the raging war in Ukraine), India would look to Russia as a secure friend to hedge against the invasion, potentially, of its border in Asia. The Indians know the United States would be a more trusted partner for that objective,” Ro Khanna, Democrat, California said.

The US Congressman told reporters that the goal of Indian Americans in the US Congress should be to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

It is in India’s interest to align more firmly with the US in terms of the “best hedge” against China, he said, adding that it has been a significant factor in Indian foreign policy, the media reported.

“External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has been clear that that doesn’t mean they will march lockstep with our interests in the United States, but they want to align at this moment because they see that it’s strategically important,” Khanna said.

Unlike the Quad partners of the US, India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it also abstained from the votes on this issue at the United Nations platforms.

India has been pressing for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine and seeking a resolution of the crisis through diplomacy and dialogue. In October 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi famously told President Vladimir Putin that this is “not an era of war,”, as he tried to persuade the two neighbors at war to find a peaceful solution.

Khanna, who in his capacity as Co-Chair of the Congressional India Caucus, is hosting the first-of-its-kind US-India Summit at the Capitol.

The Summit, among others, would be addressed by former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, along with India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and virtually by the US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.

Deputy Secretary of State Rich Verma and House Minority Leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries would also attend the summit.

Key members from the Indian-American community are also participating in the conference, including community leader Ajay Bhutoria who would speak on the H-1B issue.

Responding to a question, Khanna said the idea that Indian Americans in the United States can reshape Indian society is naive.

“But we can affirm and speak clearly about our own values. So that’s a model which we hope others will see as persuasive. The goal of Indian Americans in Congress should be to strengthen the relationship while continuing to speak to basic values and standing up for those values and speaking out where we think those values aren’t being upheld,” he added.