Cronkite school of journalism at
Arizona state university.
Amna: The world's 20 wealthiest
nations met and bringing
together U.S., Russia and China,
but the gathering on was
overshadowed and concluded with
no consensus.
Reporter: For the first time
since Russia's full scale
invasion of Ukraine, secretary
of state met face-to-face with
his Russian counterpart.
A 10-minute meeting in new
Delhi.
He urged to end the war of
aggression.
>> President Putin has
demonstrated zero interest in
engaging saying there is nothing
to talk about.
Reporter: Blaming the west for
prolonging the war.
>> Probably because Ukraine is
being encouraged for
continuation of the war.
Reporter: They last met in
January of 2022.
One month before Russia launched
the war in Ukraine with global
revere baitions.
And worries over China and
Russia.
If China supplied to Russia
saying it was raised last month
in Munich and with partners in
New Delhi.
>> I said there would be
consequences and I'm not going
to detail what they would be,
but, of course, we have
sanctions authorities of various
kinds.
[Speaking foreign language]
Reporter: The fallout shouldn't
energy.
>> We should not resolve
together and come in the way.
Reporter: He stopped short of
condemning.
And discounted Russian oil.
Amna: For more today and in
particular, China and India
support for Russia, we get two
views.
A distinguished professor of
political science at Indiana
university and a senior research
scientist at the center for
political research.
India's relationship with
Russia.
Modi is attempting to be neutral
as possible.
Why would he not want to upset
Putin?
>> There are three compelling
reasons that he is following
this delicate tightrope walk.
Anywhere between 60 to 75% of
India's weaponry is of Russian
or soviet origin and India is
acutely dependent on Russia for
supplies of spare parts and a
continuing pipeline of weaponry.
Secondly, India can ill afford
to buy oil on the global market
given the price of oil and the
Russians are prepared to sell
oil at concession area rates
which are easing inflation in
India when global inflation is
affecting the Indian economy.
Third, there is cold war
nostalgia that permeates the
political elite and consequently
they are unwilling to rebuke
Russia for its actions in the
Ukraine.
Amna: What about that?
Putin flew to beijing to meet
with president XI and you said
you didn't believe a war in
Ukraine was in China's interest.
So why does China stand with
Russia?
>> China doesn't have another
partner of Russia's stature.
U.N. Security council member, a
member with which China shares a
very lengthy border.
Like India, China also receives
military technology from Russia
and China is producing its own.
And China has also been
increasingly importing gas and
oil and sees energy as more
secure than riskerring sea-borne
supplies where U.S. Could
intervene.
Amna: I would like to ask you
both.
The U.S. And west have worked
very hard to cut off Russia's
oil revenue.
And when you look at the
numbers, those are China's
numbers in red and India's
numbers in yellow from imports
from Russia.
China has hiked it up to 2.3
million.
India has increased from newer
up to 1.6 million.
This is helping to fuel the war.
So what does India say and
justify that increase in oil
imports from Russia?
>> They justify that increase on
the grounds that this is easing
India's economic burden, that
ultimately India has to be
concerned about 1.4 billion of
its own population and that
India meager other sources of
obtaining oil at a reasonable
price in the global market.
And consequently, they shrug
their shoulders and say, the
western world deals with any
number of regimes, which are not
entirely savory and who are they
to say who we are buying oil
from particularly at a time in
dire need.
Amna: Has that strained
relations in any way?
>> It has, but the U.S. Has
mostly expressed its discomfort
privately.
Publicly, Anthony blinken,
president Biden have maintained
mostly silence on this subject
after initially when blinken
raised the issue with his India
counterparts.
But they rebuffed blinken at the
time and subsequently, the U.S.
Has not publicly rebuked India.
Amna: How about the from the
Chinese perspective?
>> They have been increasing
imports from Russia and
accounted 17% -- Russian oil
accounted for 17% of Chinese
imports and now it's about 20%.
So, they see it as a matter of
energy security that Russia is a
close supply of oil.
And this oil, some of it has
been going to Chinese reserves.
China is concerned about supply
chains and wants to make sure it
has enough reserves of oil.
That --
amna: That has increased
tensions and now the spy balloon
incident and warning Chinese
officials by providing support
to Russia.
Would that be in China's
interest?
>> I think they know this is a
red line for the international
community.
They are threatened with
sanctions if they do this.
Nevertheless, we have seen
evidence of some companies
trying to go under the radar and
provide some parts for aircraft,
by falsifying records claiming
these are commercial aircraft.
And there was evidence of a
small company, intelligent
aviation was in an agreement
with a chinese-owned state-owned
company to provide drones.
This was a delivery that was
supposed to be by April and we
don't know if it will take
place.
I think that some companies are
trying to find ways of getting
technology to their Russian
counterparts.
They have been working together
for a long time.
We don't know if this is a
state-directed effort by China.
Amna: Do you believe that
sanctions would prevent China
from acting in that way?
>> We have seen any effort by
China to owe vertly provide
military aid.
I think the sanctions are a
factor.
China just issued a position
paper where it claims to be
impartial in aiming for peace
and this would run counter.
Amna: Thank you both for joining