White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said India's purchases of Russian crude were funding Moscow's war in Ukraine and had to stop, adding that New Delhi was "now cozying up to both Russia and China.

Threatened by Washington with 50% tariffs, India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has responded by turning to its powerful neighbors. The Indian foreign minister is set to visit Russia soon, while the Chinese foreign minister is expected in New Delhi on Monday.

India, which has long pursued a policy of nonalignment, had gradually moved closer to the U.S. over the last two decades.

India is considering a proposal to co-develop Russia’s T-14 Armata main battle tank. The deal has an obvious logic for both sides.

The Indian Air Force will soon retire its remaining contingent of Soviet-era MiG-21 fighters after six decades of service.

The trade growth revelation has stirred anger in India, which faces punitive tariffs despite buying Russian oil primarily for energy security

India's equity benchmarks are likely to open marginally higher on Thursday, tracking the broader sentiment in Asia, but caution ahead of Russia-U.S. talks over the war in Ukraine could cap the upside in a holiday-truncated week.

The US said the the "historic relationship between the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy is consequential and far-reaching".