US Deputy National Security Adviser, Daleep Singh, has been deputed to be in India, coinciding with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to New Delhi.
New Delhi: The high profile diplomatic tussle between Russians and Americans is on the cards in Indian corridors of power, and diplomatic parleys as top American and Russian representatives would be in Delhi to present their respective perspectives on the month-old Ukraine conflict.
President Joe Biden does not want to leave anything to chance. US Deputy National Security Adviser, Daleep Singh, has been deputed to be in India, coinciding with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to New Delhi. He is well known to be the key architect of the Biden administration's punitive economic sanctions against Russia over the issue of the invasion of Ukraine.
Of course, the preparations for the upcoming '2+2' foreign and defence ministerial dialogue in Washington tentatively on April 11 would figure prominently during US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh's visit. However, the discussions would revolve around global developments over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. US Deputy NSA Singh has already been to China.
"….. Singh will be in New Delhi to continue our ongoing consultations with the Government of India, and advance a range of issues in the US-India economic relationship and strategic partnership," US National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said.
"Singh will consult closely with counterparts on the consequences of Russia's unjustified war against Ukraine and mitigating its impact on the global economy," Horne said.
US Deputy NSA's planned trip to India comes amid a flurry of high-profile visits to the country, including British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and German Foreign and Security Policy Advisor Jens Plotner.
There is so much importance on Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov's India visit. Russia now needs a new cross-border payment plan after its banks were barred from using the international Swift payment system. Nothing can be stated assertively, but Rupee-rouble payment plans cannot be ruled out. India, at the same time, needs defence supplies from Russia.
The UK Foreign Secretary is arriving on March 31, but German NSA Plotner already held detailed discussions with Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Wednesday, March 30.
US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and foreign ministers of Austria and Greece were also in India last week.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made an unscheduled visit, and EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin also was in New Delhi.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay an official visit to New Delhi on March 31 and April 1, 2022, the MEA informed.
Besides tele talks between PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin more than once, Foreign Minister Lavrov's visit is, in fact, the 'highest level of formal diplomatic engagement across the table between the Indian and Russian governments since Moscow launched its military offensive against Ukraine on February 24.
India's repeated abstention from voting at the UNSC and UNGA on the conflict has unnerved the US and its allies. India is the only country among the Quad which has not condemned Russia.
