Washington/ New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: United States (US) President Joe Biden on Monday termed India's stand on Russia's invasion of Ukraine "shaky" and said that New Delhi is an "exception" among Washington's allies over the global crisis.
However, Biden, while addressing a meeting of US business leaders in Washington, lauded North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other key Asian partners, including Japan, for taking "strong actions" against his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
"The Quad is, with the possible exception of India being somewhat shaky on some of this, but Japan has been extremely strong -- so has Australia -- in terms of dealing with Putin's aggression," Biden was quoted as saying by AFP.
Putin was "counting on being able to split Nato and instead, Nato has never been stronger, more united, in its entire history than it is today," Biden noted.
Biden's remarks are significant as they come after Australia said that the Quad nations have accepted India's stand on the Ukraine crisis. Here it should be noted that India is the only member of the Quad that has not condemned Russia's invasion.
"The Quad countries have accepted India's position. We understand that each country has a bilateral relationship and it is clear from the comments of the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs) and Prime Minister Modi himself that he has used his contacts to call for the end of the conflict and no country will be unhappy with that," Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell said on Sunday.
India, a traditional ally of Ukraine, has so far abstained from voting in the resolution against Russia at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). However, New Delhi has called for an "immediate cessation of violence" and urged both sides to return to dialogue.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also separate telephonic conversations with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin, urging them to stop the conflict.