US envoy: There is no such thing as ‘strategic autonomy’ in times of conflict

He said, “No war is distant anymore, and we must not just stand for peace. We must take concrete actions to make sure those who don’t play by peaceful rules that their war machines cannot continue unabated. That’s something the US needs to know and that India needs to know together.”

His comments come days after PM Narendra Modi’s embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin sparked criticism from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The US State Department has been expressing its concerns about India’s ties with Russia.

“The past three years, we’ve witnessed countries who ignore certain borders. I don’t have to remind India how important borders are. That’s the central principle to peace in our world… Together the world’s two largest democracies can enhance security, stability of our region,” he said.

Garcetti also touched upon the Indian sensitivity to US criticism on issues, and said: “I’ve been trying to impress upon Americans, because this relationship in Washington is a special one… But as I also remind my Indian friends, while… it is deeper than it’s ever been, it is not yet deep enough if we take it for granted.” He said “our heads and hearts are aligned” but question is can the two countries “move the feet together” and build that continued deep trust and have outcomes that meet security threats of this moment.