US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Tuesday he expects India to become more involved in Ukraine soon, responding to a question during a Senate hearing about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow this month.

“I think we’ll probably hear more direct Indian involvement in Ukraine. I’m grateful for that. I think India wants to play a responsible role in the world,” Campbell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow after its large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but “friendly” countries like India and China continued to trade.

Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

This month

Just as a Russian missile hit a hospital in Kiev, killing at least 41 people, it sparked international outrage.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has

He expressed his concerns.

On India’s relationship with Russia, especially as the country seeks to strengthen ties with India as a possible counterweight to the rise of China.

“I think this is probably the most important relationship the United States can get right,” Campbell said, pointing to the large Indian diaspora and the desire of most Indians to have a better relationship with the United States.

“The hardest thing to remember is that India is also a great power. It has its own beliefs, its own interests. It will never be a formal ally or partner of the United States, but that doesn’t mean we’re not,” Campbell said. “We have the strongest possible relationship as allies on the global stage.”