UK foreign secretary to highlight reducing strategic dependency on Russia during India visit

UK foreign secretary Liz Truss is visiting India on Thursday as part of Britain’s “wider diplomatic push on Ukraine” ahead of NATO and G7 meetings next week to tackle Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Truss “will point to the importance of all countries reducing strategic dependency on Russia at this time of heightened global insecurity,” the UK foreign office said in a statement ahead of her visit.

She also wants the UK to deepen security and defence ties with India and will announce a new joint cyber programme to protect online infrastructure in both countries from cyber attacks.

Truss is the latest in a string of top Western leaders making a beeline for India to discuss the Ukraine crisis and to nudge New Delhi to change its position on the issue at multilateral forums such as the United Nations. She is expected to meet external affairs minister S Jaishankar, defence minister Rajnath Singh and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her day-long visit.

In her meeting with Jaishankar, Truss “will say Russia’s invasion of Ukraine underlines the importance of democracies working closer together to deter aggressors, reduce vulnerability to coercion and strengthen global security”, the statement said. Truss wants to reduce global strategic dependence on Russia ahead of the NATO and G7 meetings.