• Source:JND
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US-India Ties: The US administration views India's reduction in Russian oil imports and its strengthening defence partnership with the United States as a strategic advantage. This geopolitical change emerged as a key factor for the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region. An official informed lawmakers about this at an American Congressional hearing this week.

India Reducing Russian Oil Imports

S Paul Kapur, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, addressing a House Subcommittee, said that the Trump administration's stance on India's discounted purchase of Russian crude oil and its long-standing defence relationship with Russia is positive. When a lawmaker asked if India had stopped purchasing Russian oil, he said, "I don't know how that will be done, but there seems to be positive progress in that direction." According to Kapur, India is reducing and moving away from Russian oil purchases, while increasing its purchases of American energy.

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Power Balance In the Indo-Pacific

Kapur described defence cooperation as a strong pillar of the India-US relationship. He cited the sale of US weapons systems, which will help protect India's sovereignty and boost American manufacturing jobs. He said these deals are not merely transactional, but also strategically necessary.

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Speaking to the panel, Kapur said, "India, whose foreign policy is independent, stands up for its interest, while maintaining neutrality actually works to our strategic advantage and advances our strategic interests." He described India's growing military and economic power as a direct response to China's territorial ambitions.

Countering China's Ambitions Is In the US Interest

In a geopolitical context, Kapur said that a self-reliant India could "take a large part of the Indo-Pacific off China's plate and prevent Beijing from becoming a major power in the region."

He emphasised that India does not need to become a proxy for US interests. Kapur asserted that New Delhi does not need to go too far to support American strategic interests and argued that India's independence was a strategic victory for us.
(With Jagran.com inputs)

 


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