Alliance headache for Australia as India commits to buying more Russian oil

India has so far refused to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine and now the Asian subcontinent has gone a step further – complicating matters for Australia.

It has repeatedly refused to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, now India will go one step further boosting oil imports from Russia and creating a dilemma for Australia and its other Quad Alliance partners.

The Quad strategic security alliance of India, Australia, the United States and Japan had already been willing to look beyond India’s refusal in four United Nations resolutions to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

As late as last week India abstained from the UN General Assembly’s two thirds majority voting for Russia to be suspended from the Human Rights Council, as disturbing images of civilian slaughter in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv, were revealed.

Now the Asian subcontinent giant has gone a step further and pledged to buy more crude oil from Russia to boost that country’s economic woes created by a crippling global boycott and sanction of all things Russian.

US President Joe Biden alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken takes part in a virtual meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Picture: AFP

Overnight US President Joe Biden spoke via video call with his Indian counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask him not to boost oil imports from Russia and instead offering to help diversify India’s energy needs.

“The president also made clear that he doesn’t believe it’s in India’s interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

The pair ended their discussion with President Biden committing to strengthening the US relationship with India. The two leaders will meet in person on May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad.

Ukrainian soldiers shoot with assault rifles in a trench on the front line with Russian troops in Lugansk region. Picture: AFP

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pointedly suggested that Europe, not India, be the focus of Washington’s concern about energy purchases from Russia.

“I suspect, looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon,” he said.

While Mr Modi has called for peace over Ukraine, he has taken a neutral stance on the invasion earning praise from Russia which has been India’s trusted arms supplier for decades including advanced air defence systems.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this month said he considered Mr Modi a “dear friend” as he signed a new trade pact with India.

He said he did not consider the alliance or India’s refusal to condemn Russia as Australia in any way betraying Ukraine.

It’s a dilemma for all Quad members which places greater value on India as a democratic nation and the only other military powerhouse in the world capable of pushing back if required against China aggression in Asia.