India undermines effort to isolate Russia

While the U.S. and EU have led a global push to isolate Russia economically, India has been buying up more Russian energy at a discount.

Now, per the Financial Times, India’s central bank is discussing a rupee-ruble trade plan with Moscow to ensure it can continue to buy Russian goods, potentially weakening the effects of Western sanctions.

What they’re saying: U.S. officials say they understand India’s delicate position vis-a-vis Russia, though White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called on India’s leaders to “think about where you want to stand when history books are written.”

The State Department dispatched and then quickly recalled a cable telling diplomats to warn counterparts from India and the UAE that their abstentions at the UN put them “in Russia’s camp,” Axios’ Hans Nichols reported earlier this month.