'Let's work closely together': Boris Johnson urges India to stand up to Russia
India has historically maintained close relations with Russia, but it now needs to rethink its position.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated this during a speech organized by the Indian business newspaper The Economic Times, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
“The faster and harder we can put pressure on Putin – I understand that India is in a special position on this issue, but still: the more pressure and the sooner we do it, the better,” Johnson argued.
He shared details of his conversation with the late Queen Elizabeth II, with whom he discussed the difficulty of convincing Indians to oppose Russia.
"It was shortly before her death. She immediately responded: 'Oh yes, I remember speaking to the [Indian] prime minister in 1952. And he said, 'Your Majesty, India will essentially always be on Russia's side.' Some things don't change. They just are. I don't know if you agree with that analysis, but it really impressed me," the former prime minister said.
On the one hand, he acknowledged that “we need to proceed from historical realities,” but at the same time called on India to stand up to Russia.
“I don’t think this will end without increased pressure on Russia, and frankly, I would really like to see India act more actively – after all, this is our fault, as in many other cases.
"But I would like to see closer military cooperation between India and the UK, and between India and the US. I think that would be much more sensible," Johnson urged.
English version :: Read in English "Let's work closely together" - Boris Johnson urges India to take a stand against Russia