International pariah, Russian thug and accused war criminal Vladimir Putin traveled to friendly India yesterday, where he was treated to a warm reception by Indian religious authoritarian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Putin is there to shore up India's continued purchase of their oil at discount prices as well as Russian military hardware, which India has purchased for decades. India wants Putin to buy its technology, and allow more Indian engineers and scientists to work in Russia. All of this as Russia brutally attacks Ukrainian cities, and blocks efforts to have a ceasefire and an end to their war of aggression. From the Associated Press:
"The 23rd Russia-India Summit comes at a pivotal moment as the U.S. pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. It will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on.
Putin was received by Modi at an airport in New Delhi on Thursday. The Indian leader gave Putin a bear hug and a tight handshake with the gusto of an old friend.
After the talks, Putin and Modi announced that India and Russia have finalized an economic cooperation program until 2030, which will help diversify mutual businesses to boost annual trade to $100 billion by 2030. They also emphasized strong energy ties.
Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $68.7 billion in the last fiscal year ended March. The trade is heavily skewed in favor of Russia with deep deficits for India, which it is looking to bridge by pushing exports." (our emphasis)
So Modi's "old friend" is sitting on a trade surplus with India, and expects Putin, who sees promises to other countries as fungible, to bridge the gap. The U.S. should stand by and enjoy how this devil's bargain plays out, and we certainly should scale back trade and cultural relations with this cynical and amoral Indian government. We owe it to tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians who have been killed and maimed by weapons paid for through India's purchase of Russian oil.
BONUS: More here about Modi's obsequious welcome for the despot.
(photo: Modi's disgusting embrace of a war criminal. AFP via Getty)
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