India became partners with Russia as US couldn’t do it earlier: US Secretary of State Blinken

Russia became India’s partner of choice out of necessity when the United States was not in a position to be a partner said US secretary of state Antony Blinken while testifying before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee.

The remarks came when Senator William Hagerty sought Blinken’s views on the India-US relationship from US secy of state Antony Blinken.

“In the case of India, there is a relationship that goes back decades. And Russia, for India, was out of necessity a partner of choice when we were not in a position to be a partner,” he told Senators on Wednesday.

He stated that they are investing in the effort to grow the strategic convergence between the US and India.

“Now, we are an we are investing in that effort. I think there is a growing strategic convergence between the United States and India. And of course, China is a big part of that,” Blinken said.

Senator Hagerty asked Blinken, “What concrete steps United States and India could take to deepen our strategic alliance?”

“I think this partnership has the potential to be one of the most important and foundational partnerships that we have going forward over the next decades. This has actually been a success story of multiple administrations. Going back to the end of the Clinton administration, through the Bush administration…,” Blinken replied.

Talking about the Quad Blinken said, “We have energised the Quad that brings India together with Australia and Japan and us. This has been a very important vehicle for strengthening our collaboration across a whole variety of fronts with India.”

Blinken further stated, “This is a moment of strategic inflection, by which I mean this. A number of countries are now relooking at some of their relationships and some of their interests, particularly when it comes to their relationship with Russia.”