'Not Resolved Fully': Biden On Talks With India In Russia-Ukraine Conflict

WASHINGTON, Feb 25: President Joe Biden on Thursday said that the United States will have consultations with India on the crisis in Ukraine following a military operation from Russia.

In a televised address on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his move to launch a military operation in Ukraine came in response to threats emanating from the neighbouring country.

He also warned other countries that if they attempted to interfere with the Russian military operation they would see "consequences they have never seen".

"We are going to have consultations with India (on the Ukrainian crisis). We haven't resolved that fully,” Biden told reporters during a White House news conference on the Ukrainian crisis.

He was responding to a question if India was fully on board with the United States on the Russian aggression.

It is understood that India and the US are not on the same page on the Ukrainian crisis.

India has a historic and time-tested friendship with Russia. At the same time, its strategic partnership with the US has grown at an unprecedented pace over the last decade and half.

It is believed that the Biden administration at various levels, ranging from the White House, the State Department and its National Security Council have reached out to their Indian counterparts at multiple levels seeking full support from it on the Ukrainian crisis.

During a background briefing with reporters a senior administration official deflected questions related to India's stand on the Ukrainian crisis at the UN Security Council.

However, behind the scene, US officials have expressed their displeasure with their Indian counterparts at the latest Indian position. India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has maintained its own strategic independence.

Earlier in the day, Modi spoke on telephone today with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which he reiterated India's long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue.

The prime minister appealed for an immediate cessation of violence and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue, according to a readout issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

American citizens in Ukraine should 'leave now': Joe Biden

WASHINGTON, Feb 11: US President Joe Biden on Thursday urged American citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, and warned about potential major conflict with Moscow should US and Russian troops engage each other on the ground.

"American citizens should leave, should leave now," Biden said in an interview with NBC News.

"We're dealing with one of the largest armies in the world. This is a very different situation and things could go crazy quickly," the president said.

Biden also reiterated that under no circumstances would he send US troops to Ukraine, even to rescue Americans in case of a Russian invasion.

"That's a world war. When Americans and Russians start shooting one another, we're in a very different world," he said.

Washington-Moscow tensions are at their highest since the Cold War, with some US estimates saying some 130,000 Russian soldiers are grouped in dozens of combat brigades near the border with Ukraine.

Western leaders have been conducting shuttle diplomacy in an effort to ease frayed nerves. But Biden's comments -- and the State Department also on Thursday renewing its warning for Americans citizens to leave -- are almost certain to ramp up tensions anew.

Biden however dismissed the scenario of having to rescue Americans in Ukraine, saying "how do you even find them?"

"What I'm hoping is that if (Russian President Vladimir Putin) is foolish enough to go in, he's smart enough not to in fact do anything that would negatively impact American citizens."

India-US goods trade at $113 billion in 2021 marks new record

WASHINGTON/ NEW DELHI: In yet another sign of the deepening economic relationship between India and the United States (US), bilateral trade in goods between the two countries crossed the $100 billion mark in 2021, making it the largest volume of goods trade in a calendar year in India-US economic history.

This also represents an almost 45% jump from 2020, and while US trade with its top 15 partners increased over the past year, the single biggest jump was with India.

India retains a trade surplus in the relationship.

According to figures released by the US Census Bureau, India-US bilateral goods trade was worth $113.391 billion from January to December 2021. India exported goods worth over $73 billion, and imported goods worth a little over $40 billion dollars. In 2020 – an unusual year because of the pandemic and subsequent economic restrictions – trade fell to a little over $78.2 billion, from the high of $92.1 billion in 2019. India had then exported goods worth $57.8 billion and imported goods worth $34.2 billion.

Biden administration restores sanctions waiver to Iran

WASHINGTON, Feb 5: The Biden administration has restored a sanctions waiver to Iran, a senior State Department official said, as indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on returning to the 2015 nuclear agreement entered the final stretch.

The waiver, which was rescinded by the Trump administration in May 2020, had allowed Russian, Chinese and European companies to carry out non-proliferation work at Iranian nuclear sites.

The waiver was needed to allow for technical discussions that were key to the negotiations about returning to the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the State Department official said.

“The technical discussions facilitated by the waiver are necessary in the final weeks of JCPOA talks,” said the official, adding that even if a final deal is not reached, the waiver is important to holding discussions on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons – of interest to the entire world.

The US steps on lifting sanctions are “good but not enough”, Iran’s foreign minister said on Saturday.

“The lifting of some sanctions can, in the true sense of the word, translate into their good will. Americans talk about it, but it should be known that what happens on paper is good but not enough,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency.

Iran’s security chief Ali Shamkhani reacted to the news on Saturday by saying that Iran has the right to a peaceful nuclear programme.

“Iran’s legal right to continue research and development and to maintain its peaceful nuclear capabilities and achievements, along with its security against supported evils, cannot be restricted by any agreement,” he tweeted.

The waiver announcement prompted hawks in Washington to accuse the Biden administration of giving concessions without securing any commitments from Iran.

US Firm On Ties Despite India Abstaining From UN Vote On Ukraine-Russia

WASHINGTON, Feb 4: America has a relationship with India that stands on its own merit, the Joe Biden administration said today. US also said that the ties with India have not been impacted by the ongoing tension with Russia.

"We have a relationship with India that stands on its own, that stands on its own merits," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at his daily press briefing today.

He was responding to a question if the US ties with India have been impacted due to the tension with Russia over Ukraine crisis.

The US' support for India comes despite the fact that India abstained from voting on the issue at the United Nations Security Council.

The West claims that Russia is trying to start a war with Ukraine, as the country has deployed nearly 100,000 troops on the Russia-Ukraine border.

Russia has denied any plans to attack Ukraine, saying the troops in the border area are carrying out military exercises.

Yesterday, Russia accused America of escalating tensions by sending 3,000 troops to Eastern Europe.

Price refrained from taking any questions related to India's stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the UN Security Council.

India had said that “quiet and constructive” diplomacy is the “need of the hour” and any steps that increase tension “may best be avoided” by all sides in the larger interest of securing international peace and security.

Price said that US has been in touch with literally dozens of countries around the world, including their Indian partners, on concerns regarding Russia's military buildup and its unprovoked potential aggression against Ukraine.

India yesterday again made a pitch a peaceful resolution through constructive political efforts.

"There was a meeting on the issue at the UN Security Council on January 31. We issued a statement at the meeting reflecting our viewpoint. I do not have anything more on this at this point," he said, replying to a question.

"I want to remind you that we have called for constructive political efforts to address the concerns of all sides and resolve the situation peacefully," he said.