Rahul Gandhi Backs Centre's Stance On Russia-Ukraine War

In a rare endorsement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi backed the BJP government's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying he would respond similarly to the issue.

Rahul Gandhi also claimed that his international engagements are not meant to seek support in India's internal political battles, a key criticism directed at him by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"We have a relationship with Russia. We have had a relationship with Russia. We have certain dependencies on them. So I would have a very similar stance as the government of India...At the end of the day, we have to also look out for our interests," Rahul said speaking at the National Press Club in Washington.

"India is a big enough country whereby it generally will have relationships with other countries. It's not so small and dependent that it will have a relationship with one and nobody else. We will always have these types of relationships. We will have better relationships with some people, evolving relationships with other people. So that balance is there," the former Congress president said.

The Congress leader was respong to a question on how the Congress would assess India's bilateral ties with Russia in view of the conflict with Ukraine since February 2022.

"It's important to have have a defence relationship. But I think we need to also consider other areas (of cooperation)," he said.

During the interaction, Rahul Gandhi spoke about the Opposition unity and said that there is a hidden undercurrent building which will surprise people in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

"I think the Congress party will do very well in the next two years. I think it will," Rahul said.

Rahul Gandhi has asserted that India cannot be pushed around by China as he underlined that the relationship between the two neighbours is going to be tough and not an easy one.

"India cannot be pushed around. That something is not going to happen," Gandhi said.

India and China are also locked in a lingering border standoff in eastern Ladakh for three years. The bilateral relationship came under severe strain following the deadly clash in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020.

India has maintained that the bilateral relationship cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border area.