Ahead of Lavrov’s arrival, U.S. to send Deputy NSA to India

Just ahead of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to India this week, the Biden administration is sending its chief strategist on sanctions against Russia for the war in Ukraine, Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh. The U.S. Deputy NSA’s visit also coincides with that of British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who will hold meetings at South Block and address a think tank event jointly with Mr. Jaishankar on Thursday, and comes amidst a flurry of visits by a number of countries, including China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, keen to discuss India’s stand on the Ukraine crisis. However, it is clear that the number of visitors to the Ministry of External Affairs and the National Security Council in the past month is unprecedented, with the U.S.’s European and Quad partners Japan and Australia making public comments about Russia, and indicating clearly that they hoped to change India’s position, where it has abstained at the United Nations on Ukraine resolutions, and is now working on payment mechanisms to mitigate the impact of Western sanctions against Russia on Indian trade and energy purchases. EU ‘unhappy‘ When asked about Mr. Lavrov’s impending visit, and discussions in Delhi on how to strengthen alternative payment mechanisms for trade between India and Russia, Mr. Visentin told The Hindu that the EU was “not pleased” with India’s abstention votes while the EU cannot tell New Delhi what to do, it “ not welcome any act, which would help Russia to circumvent the U.S., its partners and the EU’s sanctions regime.” Significantly, the EU’s Mission in South Delhi flies a banner representing the Ukrainian flag colours of blue and yellow, and Mr. Visentin wore a blue and yellow ribbon in solidarity with Ukraine during the ongoing war.