US voices concern about India's joining military exercise with Russia

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US expressed concern about the reported participation this week of India in military exercises with Russia, known as Vostok drills.

"The United States has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages a unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday. "But, of course, every participating country will make its own decisions. And I’ll leave it at that.”

When asked why the US does not pressure India to skip the exercises and if Washington would take action, Jean-Pierre said: "I don’t have anything else to share. But we have been pretty public — I’ve been asked this question with other countries as well, and we’ve been pretty consistent in our statements."

The drills began in the Far Eastern Military District of Siberia and the water areas and coastal zones of the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, Western Pacific Ocean.

More than 2,000 Chinese troops are joining its strongest partner, Russia, in the drills.

China sent its army, navy and air force units under the Northern Theater Command to participate in Vostok 2022 (East 2022) that began Wednesday in Russia, the Global Times daily reported.

Beside India, militaries from Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria, and Tajikistan will participate in the drills.