A pair of congressmen stepped up Washington’s efforts to press New Delhi to denounce Moscow
US Representatives Ro Khanna and Joe Wilson said they met with India’s ambassador to urge his country to denounce Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, after New Delhi agreed to purchase a quantity of Russian oil despite a wave of new sanctions from the West.
“Grateful to join my colleague in a bipartisan call with the Ambassador of India to the US. It is critical that world leaders condemn the atrocities being committed by Putin in Ukraine,” Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.
India’s US Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu later highlighted the “engaging discussion” with lawmakers, but added that he also “explained [India’s] position on current global developments.”
Grateful to join my colleague in a bipartisan call with the Ambassador of India to the U.S. It is critical that world leaders condemn the atrocities being committed by Putin in Ukraine. https://t.co/f0bIm8ygTH
— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) March 17, 2022
Though Sandhu did not elaborate further, New Delhi has so far been unwilling to join Washington and a long list of allies in condemning Moscow’s military operation, even reportedly striking a deal for three million barrels of Russian oil at a heavy discount as recently as this week. The purchase comes as Western states bring a range of harsh sanctions on Russia, some explicitly aiming to “isolate” the country’s economy.
