Blinken: Hope India will convince Russia on nukes

New Delhi, February 24

Moving India and South Africa away from Russia is like moving an aircraft carrier and not flipping a light switch, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the one-year anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine. In the latest vote at UNGA on Thursday night, both South Africa and India had abstained from a West-piloted resolution criticising Russia.

Military equipment

India had Russia at the core of providing military equipment to it, but the last few years have seen a change. Antony Blinken, US Secy of state

Blinken saw a greater role for India in the conflict, as he hoped India would engage with Russia directly in absolute opposition to any use of nuclear weapons, he said in an interview to “The Atlantic”. India, he felt, was on the trajectory to reduce reliance on Russian military equipment and instead partner with the US and France. “India for decades had Russia at the core of providing military equipment to it and its defences, but what we’ve seen over the last few years is a trajectory away from relying on Russia and moving into partnership with us and other countries,” he said in a virtual interview.

Blinken also appeared to express regret for Washington’s support to the apartheid regime in South Africa. “The Soviet Union was supportive of the freedom forces in South Africa, and of course unfortunately, more than unfortunately, the United States was much too sympathetic to the apartheid regime, so that history also doesn’t get erased, you know, overnight, it’s a process,” he said.