Jaishankar makes it clear to US, “You’re barking up the wrong tree”

America under Democrat President Joe Biden still believes it is India of the yore that he is dealing with. A simple threat of sanctions will supposedly get India to drop everything and rush back to US. However, as it turns out, Biden is sadly mistaken and New Delhi doesn’t cower in front of bullies.

In the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict where the US is attempting to alienate Kremlin, Biden sent his lieutenant, Deputy NSA for International Economics Daleep Singh to New Delhi to set the stage right.

However, instead of using his diplomatic acumen to persuade India to not buy oil from Russia and set up an alternative payment mechanism, Daleep threatened New Delhi with ‘consequences’, only to be shushed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Disguised as a friend, Daleep, speaking for his American masters mansplained India about the mechanism of sanctions. He said, “I come here in a spirit of friendship to explain the mechanisms of our sanctions, the importance of joining us, to express a shared resolve and to advance shared interests. And yes, there are consequences to countries that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill the sanctions,”

Moreover, terming Russia as China’s Junior partner, Daleep claimed that Moscow would not come to India’s rescue if China was to continue its misadventures along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

He said, “Russia is going to be the junior partner in this relationship with China. And the more leverage that China gains over Russia, the less favourable that is for India, I don’t think anyone would believe that if China once again breached the Line of Actual Control, that Russia will come running to India’s defence,”

Jaishankar exposes the West

While Daleep was making his harakiri statements, S Jaishankar in an unscripted sharp exchange with visiting British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss answered the US and UK simultaneously for their hypocrisy in targeting India, despite the entire EU and western world buying oil from Russia.

Jaishankar said that talk of sanctions “looks like a campaign” and it was Europe that was buying more oil from Russia than before the war, “It is interesting because we have seen for some time what looks almost like a campaign (against us) on this issue. When the oil prices go up, I think it is natural for the countries to go out into the market and look for what are good deals for their people,”

Read More: S Jaishankar – The External Affairs Minister India waited for long

Europe bought more oil in February when the conflict started: S Jaishankar

Jaishankar laid the facts bare in front of Truss by stating, “Europe bought 15% more oil & gas from Russia than it did a month before. Most of the major buyers of oil & gas from Russia are in Europe. We get the bulk of our energy supplies from the Middle East, about 7.5%-8% from the US, may be less than a per cent from Russia”

However, the mic drop moment came when Jaishankar said, “I am pretty sure if we wait two or three months and actually look at who are the big buyers of Russian oil and gas, I suspect the list would not be too different from what it used to be and I suspect we won’t be in the top 10 on that list.

Even former spokesperson of the EAM, Syed Akbaruddin called out Daleep for his coarse statements. Akbaruddin tweeted, “So this is our friend…This is not the language of diplomacy…This is the language of coercion…Somebody tell this young man that punitive unilateral economic measures are a breach of customary international law…”

India looking to set alternate payment system

It is pertinent to note that earlier this week, officials of the Bank of Russia, the country’s central bank, met Reserve Bank of India officials to discuss alternative payment mechanisms and routing through banks that are immune to international sanctions, especially the US sanctions. Recently, India has purchased the S-400 missile system from Russia using the alternative payment system of rupee-ruble.

Read More: US Senators warn Biden against imposing sanctions on India over Russian S-400s, and they are not wrong

As far as the Indo-China border dispute is concerned — the skirmish along the LAC has been ongoing for the better part of the last 23 months and America has done little to nothing to show support for India. On the contrary, Russia sped up its delivery of S-4000 to India and stood firmly in its corner.

Yes, Russia has relations with China but New Delhi would rather have Moscow in its corner, instead of the certain USA that threatens sanctions at the drop of hat.

India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is crystal clear in its foreign policy. It is not going to take the sanctimonious hogwash from the West, nor it will be ‘threatened’ by the supposed sanctions. The sooner the likes of Mr. Daleep understand, the better. And Washington should perhaps send better-equipped diplomats than thugs when it is attempting to negotiate from a position of weakness.