It will be hard because India likes to buy from Russia recently and doesn't see a problem with invasion.
India has massive dependency on Russian military hardware and spare parts. So what should it do, just break off with Russia over a war in the Europe and get screwed itself when China-Pak nexus comes knocking on the border? No country in the world would do that, none-zero-zilch…
Moreover, Europe itself is buying Russian oil and gas, and wants India to stop - that reeks of double standards..
International politics is much murkier than national politics, so nothing is ever black or white.
Choices.
BTW. Regarding the oil and gas, India started buying when it didn't need to . EU is dependent on that oil and gas (Eastern Europe was forced on that dependency, Westerners stupidly joined) - e.g. cars will stop on streets, people will freeze in houses (ok, maybe not now, fortunately Spring is coming, but we still have 0-8 Celcius here, not fun to be in unheated house in that temperature). And we try to stop it, e.g. in Poland we worked on that and hopefully by the end of the year we can stop importing gas from Russia.
You are free and rich enough to do this, be my guest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD_6L_ktkM8
There is a difference: you don’t have a choice, Russia is the enemy as well as from where where you’d sourced hardware. Moreover, per my understanding, a lot of hardware and spares are manufactured in E. Eu, due to Soviet era, so things are slightly better due to that.
India is different, the enemy is China-Pak nexus. Russia has never been India’s enemy, rather has been friendly as a counter against US which for decades was more friendly towards Pak and even China. Kissinger hated India for some reason. Also, India doesn’t manufacture a lot of spares for military hardware. India is trying to reduce dependency on Russian crap by buying from West, note the Rafale deal. So it will happen, it will just take time. Note: India has the 2nd largest army in the world, so things take time.
> India started buying when it didn't need to
India started buying exactly when it needed to, when the price went over $100 a barrel which has a huge economic impact. Just like Eu is still buying Russian oil and gas. It’s not fair to express your own reasons while not understanding the other’s.
No one in India is doing this out of love for Russia, the history is in the past, but out of strategic reasons - which is what countries do.
Do you think it's only Europe that has cars?
Do you think Indians move around on donkeys and bullock carts?
If the US oil prices match Russian oil prices, then sure, buying oil from US can be considered. [1]
[1] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/Swaminomics/if-us-...
It’s pretty obvious that the 2 would have different responses.
Also, if dependence is irrelevant, then why is the EU a continuing to buy Russian gas? To the tune of $35bn since Russia invaded Ukraine, compared to the $1bn they’ve given Ukraine?
I don’t blame them for it. I can understand that it’s pretty much impossible to unravel those decades of dependence in months, and trying to do that immediately will likely be counterproductive.
And India recognizes the same about its own Russian policy. They know they need to move away, but they also recognize the dangers of doing so in a thoughtless and rushed manner.
Further, unlike your conveniently specific black and white thinking, other countries like those in the EU (which haven’t said anything to India), the US (which has tried diplomatic persuasion but has not threatened any negative consequences), Australia, Japan, etc, all understand where India is coming from. And even though it is their duty to at least try to persuade India to shift its stance, they know it’s not gonna happen and understand why it won’t happen at such short notice, which is why they’ve been neutral to supportive.
There is absolutely no reason India shouldn’t buy Russian oil. Especially when the EU continues to do so.
The only country that has any standing complaining about Indian purchases of Russian oil is the US. And they haven’t complained about it because they recognize the hypocrisy of criticizing India buying a few millions worth of oil while not saying anything to Europe buying a few billions worth of oil.
Do you know that Europe is _still_ buying from Russia??
Do you know that the US is also _still_ buying from Russia??
India does about $8Bn/year of trade with Russia. That's peanuts.
And nearly 50% of the tankers carrying Russian oil are Greek; and yet you don't hear a word about Greece.
I didn't know about Greece, I was wondering how in the world was Russia transporting that oil and wheat.
NATO will loose its purpose when Russia disappears.
In other words, Europe continues to buy from Russia so as to not to inconvenience its own citizens (need gas to heat people’s homes). But India shouldn’t buy from Russia to keep a check on fuel prices in a poor country.
Seems like you don’t care as long as someone else is inconvenienced.
And Europe is not filled with rich countries.
Ukrainians have the right to decide what they want to do and what, if anything, to give up.
But that doesn't change much. The US intervened in Vietnam and Afghanistan and because the locals didn't want them, the US still lost.
Foreign contributions in Ukraine pale in comparison to Vietnam and Afghanistan yet Ukraine is resisting. And this a full blown Russian invasion, not just a Ukrainian civil war, yet Ukraine might even win this war.
That's strictly the merit of the Ukrainians. You can gift weapons, but not the will to fight.
Not yet, apparently, but they are fighting for it.
Ukraine becoming a more successful county like all the other countries that have joined the EU would have made Russians wonder if Putin was holding them back given their closeness to Ukraine and more advantageous starting point.
Yes but this furthers the goals of Western Europe and The USA, regardless of how Ukraine behaves. It just so happens to be an aligned interest with Ukraine. If Ukraine wants to fight off Russia it certainly has the right to, but asking China/India to sanction Russia is like telling them to pay and actively contribute to the war. Maybe they should do that, but that payment is at their cost, for the benefit of Ukraine and NATO.
I'm sure there are plenty of civil wars and atrocities such that the US probably should have interfered more, such as in Myanmar, so one has to wonder why in certain cases (Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine) that the US decides to intervene slightly more.
I'm not saying that's what they should be doing or not be doing, I'm just helping laypeople rationalize why the self-interested approach of certain countries is rational... for their self interest. But then countries aren't people, but they are beholden to the interests of their own people first. The US just so happens to be aligned with the interests of Ukraine, but our interference definitely has self interest motivations too. We just can't go around pretending like China and India not "helping" for our self-interests as some kind of atrocity.
Or that Europe would in anyway want to give up on its Russian gas and oil, while pointing fingers at India which buys less than 1%.
In fact they fear it might go the same way as the sanctions on Iran, where India had to go through Germany banks to pay its Iranian dues, where Indian banks were expected to abide by sanctions while German banks were not.
There's always a double standard at play. For EU, buying oil is a necessary evil. For India, it's "supporting" the enemy.
India received Lawrow recently, he is not allowed in any EU country.
But there is a difference in long dependency and completely new buy. India is not dependent on Russian oil, Germany is (I mean, if they stop, cars will stop, people will freeze in houses because of lack of gas to heat their houses).
And? Your point? Speaking to diplomats is suddenly taboo?
> India is not dependent on Russian oil
No. But, it is dependent on oil and gas being cheap enough to make basic inputs with. It is a region and country on the brink of poverty in many ways. What did you expect?
You can speak on phone, receiving one from countries killing civilians on purpose is making a statement. If you make a statement you will be heard, and I don't think many EU countries will be happy. Not to mention, you know humanitarian aspects - you can buy your oil without blood.
And, why hasn't the EU shut off all oil and gas purchases from Russia immediately?
Why should a poor country support this sanctions regime and then witness massive internal disruption?
Most of the countries and populations of the world have in fact NOT imposed sanctions.
Because they let themselves get too dependent on foreign energy, so doing so would have meant letting their own people freeze.
You are free and rich enough to do this, be my guest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD_6L_ktkM8
Is oil the only thing a country can be dependent on?
Also, what are you? Some Eastern European, who has some emotional ties to the region? 99% of Indians have never heard of Ukraine, and yet, Indians should sacrifice their one steady ally who has stood with India all these decades?
I assume India politicians heard what Russia targets in Ukraine (and it is not military). Bucha is just one example.
Would India buy cheap soap from Germany during WWII (of course if it wasn't under Britains rule)?
Do you really understand or know more about these concerns?
Not for India’s economy and defense. Surely, you recognize they are not a rich country and in an unstable region?
India isn't a colony, and India is capable of and willing to be a mediator to bring peace, the west isn't or won't.
What regime changes, what orchestration?
They literally hosted Russia Foreign Minister week or two ago. They abstained in votes against Russia for that invasion in UN. US warned them no to go in bed with Russia. Do you think EU or US will look kindly to support India now?
This country needs to be cleaned from the head, just like Germany after WWII. If not it will always be a danger to world peace.