US President Joe Biden's top advisor to arrive in India hours ahead of Russian Foreign Minister's arrival to Delhi

New Delhi: As the Ukraine-Russia war rages on, top US advisor Daleep Singh will be travelling to India today for a two day trip. The Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics who is also resident Joe Biden's point person on Russian sanctions will be visiting around the same time as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“Singh will consult closely with counterparts on the consequences of Russia's unjustified war against Ukraine and mitigating its impact on the global economy,” said Emily Horne, spokesperson of the National Security Council of the White House. 

The visit also comes ahead of proposed 2+2 dialogues between India and the US next month.

He is also slated to discuss priorities of the Biden Administration, including the promotion of high-quality infrastructure through Build Back Better World and the



development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. He is also slated to meet with Indian officials to deepen cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth and prosperity, and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is also set to fly to India this week for a brief visit. It will only be Lavrov's third visit overseas since Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, after a trip to Turkey for talks with his Ukrainian counterpart earlier this month and a scheduled meeting in China on Thursday.

India, one of the biggest buyers of Russian commodities since the international community began isolating Moscow, has so far stopped short of explicitly condemning the war. Instead, New Delhi has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, and abstained from voting on multiple UN resolutions on the war.