WASHINGTON—President Biden held a video call Thursday with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan—known as the Quad—”to discuss the war against Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific,” the White House said.
The meeting came as the U.S. and Western allies have taken steps to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin and his economy amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Biden administration has sought to strengthen the alliance between the Quad countries as a counterweight to China’s influence in Asia. But among the Quad leaders, India has been reluctant to condemn Russia’s military assault on Ukraine and abstained on a United Nations resolution condemning the invasion.
Mr. Biden made a note of India’s abstention on Wednesday while speaking in Wisconsin, where he underscored that most global allies were united against Russia.
“Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever,” he said.
India and Russia share close defense ties and in December agreed to extend military technical cooperation for another decade. Both sides have said they are proceeding with delivery of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia to India despite the threat of U.S. sanctions on New Delhi.
The Quad leaders during the call agreed to meet in person in Tokyo in the coming months, the White House said in a statement.
“The Quad leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications,” the statement read. “They agreed to stand up a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism which will enable the Quad to meet future humanitarian challenges in the Indo-Pacific and provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine.”
The statement made no mention of India’s position on the U.N. resolution.
WASHINGTON—President Biden held a video call Thursday with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan—known as the Quad—”to discuss the war against Ukraine and its implications for the Indo-Pacific,” the White House said. The meeting came as the U.S. and Western allies have taken steps to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin and his economy amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Biden administration has sought to strengthen the alliance between the Quad countries as a counterweight to China’s influence in Asia. But among the Quad leaders, India has been reluctant to condemn Russia’s military assault on Ukraine and abstained on a United Nations resolution condemning the invasion. Mr. Biden made a note of India’s abstention on Wednesday while speaking in Wisconsin, where he underscored that most global allies were united against Russia. “Putin is now isolated from the world more than ever,” he said. India and Russia share close defense ties and in December agreed to extend military technical cooperation for another decade. Both sides have said they are proceeding with delivery of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia to India despite the threat of U.S. sanctions on New Delhi. The Quad leaders during the call agreed to meet in person in Tokyo in the coming months, the White House said in a statement. “The Quad leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications,” the statement read. “They agreed to stand up a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism which will enable the Quad to meet future humanitarian challenges in the Indo-Pacific and provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine.” The statement made no mention of India’s position on the U.N. resolution.