PM Modi in Russia: U.S. says it has raised concerns with India of ties with Russia

US raises concerns with India over Russia ties amid Ukraine invasion; India resists pressure, cites longstanding ties with Russia.

The United States has raised concerns with India about its relationship with Russia amid Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told reporters on Monday in response to questions about a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

India has faced pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow after Russia invaded Ukraine. New Delhi has thus far resisted that pressure, citing its longstanding ties with Russia and its economic needs.

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Mr. Modi met Mr. Putin in Russia on Monday in the Prime Minister's first visit since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister said his talks with Mr. Putin "will surely go a long way in further cementing the bonds of friendship" between the two countries.

"I will look to Prime Minister Modi's public remarks to see what he talked about but as I said, we have made quite clear directly with India our concerns about their relationship with Russia," a State Department spokesperson said in a press briefing.

"And so we would hope (that) India and any other country when they engage with Russia would make clear that Russia should respect the U.N. Charter, should respect Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

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