UK PM should stick to trade in New Delhi

In an apparent effort to strengthen ties between the United Kingdom and India and cater to the UK's strategic tilt to the Indo-Pacific, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to begin a visit to India starting Thursday.

Before leaving, Johnson said that he expected to discuss a free trade agreement with his Indian counterpart and his trip this week will focus on "the things that really matter" to the people of both countries, primarily jobs and growth.

Indeed, with the UK economy struggling to bounce back from the combined blows of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson has been doing the rounds, cap in hand, looking to strike some trade deals.

London and New Delhi started their negotiations on a free trade agreement in January and expect to conclude them at the year end.

With bilateral trade averaging 23 billion pounds ($29.95 billion) per year, the two countries are looking to double the value by 2030, which well explains the two countries' enthusiasm to ink the deal.

But given India's different stance toward the conflict in Ukraine, it is that issue that may eat up much of the talk time.

There has been much speculation about whether Johnson will try and take the opportunity to continue to mount pressure on New Delhi to join the West's "united front" against Russia in the Ukraine crisis.

India has, so far, refused to criticize Russia, let alone join the sanction regime the United States is orchestrating against the country.

Not only have Indians rushed to social media platforms to heap support on Russia, the Indian government has also increased imports of energy and other commodities from Russia even as the US and its allies either ban or shun Russian energy.

In a move that has drawn much ire from the US and its allies, India has reportedly bought at least 13 million barrels of crude oil from Russia since Feb 24, compared with nearly 16 million barrels in all of 2021.

True, out of strategic calculations, New Delhi has so far responded enthusiastically to Washington's efforts to implement its Indo-Pacific policy. Yet, as a big country faithful to the non-aligned movement, India is by no means dead set on playing its allotted role as a piece on the US' Asia-Pacific game board.

If Johnson chooses to press his Indian host on the Ukraine issue later this week, it seems he will be as disappointed as US President Joe Biden who achieved little in that regard during a virtual summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.

Johnson would be better advised to hold out his cap to see what he can get.