Russia-India partnership a choice out of necessity: US

New Delhi, Apr 28: The United States has said that Russia and India became partners of choice out of necessity when the US was not in a position to be New Delhi's partner.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US is now working towards strengthening ties with India and there is a growing strategic convergence between the two countries. He was speaking a Congressional hearing by the Senate Appropriations Sub-Committee on State, Foreign Operations.

Blinken's opinion was sought by senator William Hagerty on the India-US relations.

The India-US relations have been the most debated in the aftermath of New Delhi refusing to sever ties with Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war.

"This partnership has the potential to be one of the most important and foundational partnerships that we have going forward over the next decades. This has actually been a success story of multiple administrations. Going back to the end of the Clinton administration, through the Bush administration," Blinken said.

"And in the case of India, there was a relationship that goes back to decades.

Russia, for India, was out of necessity a partner of choice when we were not in a position to be a partner. Now, we are investing in that effort. I think there is a growing strategic convergence between the United States and India. And of course, China is a big part of that,"he also added.

After the US had imposed sanctions on Russia, New Delhi's deals with Moscow have come under the radar. Washington however clarified that as long as the deals do not violate sanctions, it is none of its business.