LONDON, British Foreign Minister Liz Truss will go to India on Thursday as part of a “broader diplomatic effort” on the Ukraine conflict, which will coincide with her Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov’s visit to the nation.
By hesitating to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and buying Russian goods at a discount, India has irritated Western friends.
Truss will emphasise the “value of democracies working together to discourage aggressors,” according to the British foreign ministry, and she wants a better connection with India to enhance security and jobs in both nations.
“This is especially important in light of Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine, and underscores the need for free democracies to collaborate more closely in areas like defence, trade, and cyber security,” Truss said in a statement.
Lavrov will also visit India on Thursday, according to India’s foreign ministry, who added that Indian officials will meet with US and British diplomats beforehand.
It was not immediately clear if Truss and Lavrov will meet in India.
Ukraine has stated that it is not naïve about the possibility of peace negotiations with Russia. While the United Kingdom has questioned the Kremlin’s sincerity, it has stated that it will support negotiations in any format that Ukraine desires.
The crisis in Ukraine has strained relations between the United Kingdom and India, which has emerged as one of Russia’s largest importers of its goods since the international community began isolating Moscow with sanctions in response to the invasion on Ukraine.
This month, Britain’s trade minister expressed disappointment with India’s attitude on the invasion and expressed optimism that India’s views would change. A free trade agreement is presently being negotiated between the United Kingdom and India.
As part of the tour, Britain and India will unveil a new collaborative cyber security initiative as well as stronger marine cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, according to the foreign ministry.
