Exports from the world’s largest wheat exporter Russia and the fifth-largest exporter Ukraine have been disrupted by the invasion. The two countries account for about 30 per cent of the world’s export of wheat

But before the 2+2 meeting, President Joe Biden will hold a virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at which the Russian invasion of Ukraine will figure, according to the White House

The US has been trying to persuade India to join it in taking a harder line against Russia

Biden expects that Blinken and Lloyd “will continue driving forward our work with India and our shared goals in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world”, Psaki said, recalling last month’s virtual summit Biden had with Prime Ministers Narendra Modi of India, Scott Morrison of Australia and Fumio Kishida

The two parallel announcements - from the Pentagon and State Department - did not make any mention of the Ukraine situation, which is the pre-occupation of the US and a point of difference with India, which has stayed neutral frustrating Washington

Of the South Asian countries, Afghanistan was absent from the Assembly, while all the others abstained

There’s an element of misinformed obsession reflective of what can be described as the racially differentiated approach of the US mainstream media to sanctions and India

The US has offered to help India with its energy needs and also in diversifying its defence needs to lessen the dependence on Russia

South Asian peacekeepers dominate the 14,000-strong military segment of the MONUSCO operation with 1,974 from Pakistan, 1,888 from India and 1,634 from Bangladesh in addition to the Nepalis

While making probably the harshest criticism of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the Indian diplomat straddled the fine line of neutrality by not naming Russia.