Tuesday, April 12, 2022 – 11:59 p.m. WIB
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: Reuters
jpnn.com, WASHINGTON DC – US President Joe Biden has told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that buying more oil from Russia is not in India’s interest and could undermine the US response to the war in Ukraine.
Biden and Modi held an hour-long video call on Monday as Washington pushed its Asian ally to back the response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Both expressed concern about the devastation in Ukraine, particularly in Bucha, where many civilians have been killed.
Midway through the conversation, a US official said, Biden made a “concrete request” to Modi and reminded India that he was concerned about deepening Russian-Chinese relations.
Biden told Modi that India’s position in the world would not be improved by relying on Russian energy sources. “It was a very honest conversation,” the official said. “India will make its own judgement.”
The intense talks between the world’s two largest democracies come as the United States asks India for more help in condemning and applying economic pressure on Russia.
“Recently, the news of the killing of innocent civilians in the town of Bucha is very disturbing,” Modi said during an open session for reporters. “We condemn him immediately and have called for an independent investigation.”
Modi also told Biden that he had suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have direct talks.
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