Explained: Why India rejected US plea to sanction Russian media group
New Delhi has refused to toe the Western line on the Ukraine war and refrained from joining the sanctions against Moscow citing national interests.
Earlier this month, US authorities announced sanctions and possible prosecution against Russian media for allegedly trying to interfere in this year’s American elections. / Photo: Reuters
On September 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions targeting RT – Russia Today – accusing the media organisation of acting as a "de facto arm of (Russian) intelligence" and attempting to undermine democracy globally.
Blinken also urged India, among other US allies and partners, to treat RT’s activities “as they would any other intelligence operations by Russia within their borders” and unveiled new sanctions aimed at alleged overseas influence campaigns by the Kremlin.
The US Secretary of State clarified that the sanctions were not aimed at the content of RT's reporting but were instead a response to the "covert influence activities" that he alleged the network has been conducting.
"We know that RT possesses cyber capabilities and engaged in covert information influence operations and military procurement.”
RT has dismissed the US's claims, with the news outlet’s Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan saying she was waiting "with popcorn" ahead of Blinken's statement to reporters.
"The State Department will declare us the world's best spies. Be ready," she posted on Telegram.
Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also responded sarcastically to Blinken's remarks, posting: "There should be a new profession in the United States, a specialist in sanctions against Russia."
India’s response
India's Ministry of External Affairs has remained silent on the issue, with officials indicating that the matter "does not pertain to India”, as reported by the Indian newspaper, The Hindu.
Former foreign secretary of India and RT contributor Kanwal Sibal criticised Washington’s demand in a statement reflecting India’s opposition.
“This will be viewed as double standards by the Global South that they are trying to target. India will obviously not be responsive to such American pressure,” Sibal said.
Although India adheres to UN-endorsed sanctions, it has consistently resisted unilateral measures to safeguard its national interests.
The country has resisted calls from the US to impose restrictions on its energy imports from Moscow ever since Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022.
Since then, US diplomats and other Western officials made efforts to persuade India to condemn Russia's actions or at least reduce its political and trading ties with Moscow.
While India did express concerns about the war, its leaders have not publicly condemned Russia or joined the sanctions regime.
Instead, India, the world's number three importer of oil, continued its long-standing relationship with Russia and took advantage of its discounted oil until Russia became its leading supplier.
This has massively contributed to the weakening of the dollar's long-standing dominance in international oil trade, as most transactions with India, Russia's largest buyer of seaborne crude, have been conducted in other currencies.
Many countries in the Global South, including key nations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, have chosen not to join the sanctions against Russia.
Instead, they have maintained active political and commercial ties with Moscow, allowing the Russian economy to avoid the worst effects of the sanctions and leading to changes in global trade patterns that could last even after the war ends.
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