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The White House on Friday repeated largely what it had said earlier this week on the purchase of oil from Russia amid the Ukraine war. On reach out to India, US press secretary Jen Psaki said – “We have been in touch, of course, with Indian leaders at a range of levels, not through the President (Joe Biden). If that happens, we will, of course, provide that information to all of you.” Sources in the Indian government on Friday had said the country’s “legitimate energy transactions should not be politicised”.
Earlier this week, Jen Psaki, during a similar briefing, had said: “Think about where you want to stand when history books are written at this moment in time. Support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact.”
On Friday, when she was questioned if Joe Biden plans to reach out to India about urging the country for curbs on oil purchase, she said: “Well, we have not — while we made a decision about banning the Russian import of oil, every country has not made that decision, and we recognize that. And they have different economic reasoning as to why different countries do, including some in Europe.”
And she yet again reiterated: “But what we would project or convey to any leader around the world is that the world — the rest of the world is watching where you’re going to stand as it relates to this conflict, whether its support for Russia in any form as they are illegally invading Ukraine.”
Russia has been facing multiple global sanctions from across the world over the Ukraine war that started February 24. Biden had blocked purchase of Russian crude oil, certain petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal earlier this month amid huge appeals. Russia’s Vladimir Putin had hit back at the West over the punitive sanctions, saying that the measures were “akin to declaration of war”.
While India has been repeatedly raising concerns over the human cost in the war, it has abstained from voting against the Kremlin in the United Nations.
Officials from the US and the United Kingdom have urged India, which has shared ties with Moscow for its defence and energy needs, to take a stand against the Kremlin.
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