In what could be construed as an endorsement of India's stance regarding its business with Russia amid the Ukraine war, the American government said that for many decades, Moscow was prepared to be Delhi's partner in a way that Washington was not.
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price made the comments on 19 December 2022 while appreciating PM Narendra Modi's message to Russia's Vladimir Putin that this is not an era of war.
The spokesman said that the government now hopes that America is now a "partner of first resort" for India.
"I think it is notable that the communique emanating from the G20 also had very similar language – I think a testament to the fact that this was language and this was a call that resonated in this country, in South Asia, in Europe, and around the world. The United States certainly welcomes it," Price said.
"It is also important because India has a relationship with Russia that the United States does not have. For decades, I should say Russia was prepared to be a partner to India in a way that the United States at the time was not. Of course, that has changed in recent decades," he observed.
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(With agency inputs)