New Delhi: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in her address at Noida on November 11 that Russia is an example of how malicious actors present themselves as reliable partners to gain geopolitical leverage and also that it is important for democracies to renew commitment to civil liberties and rights, “including for all our minorities, at home and abroad.”Yellen, in a speech highlighting the Biden administration’s desire to deepen economic ties with India, said that ending the war in Ukraine was a “moral imperative” but that economic challenges from the conflict and from supply chain strains were drawing India and the United States closer together.The United States was working to strengthen India’s “friend-shoring” role as a trusted, reliable supplier.Before that, though, Yellen looked at Russia:“Russia has long presented itself as a reliable energy partner. But for the better part of this year, Putin has weaponized Russia’s natural gas supply against the people of Europe. It’s an example of how malicious actors can use their market positions to try to gain geopolitical leverage or disrupt trade for their own gain.”The role of Russian oil in US-India ties have figured prominently this year since Russia attacked Ukraine. India has repeatedly argued that the purchase of Russian crude should not be “politicised”, especially when Europe too is dependent on the same source for energy.“The US and India are ‘natural allies,’ in the words of a former Indian prime minister,” Yellen said, adding that both countries waged similar fights for independence “to attain freedom and dignity.”While stressing that the US States and India are natural allies that can show the rest of the world that democracies can deliver for their citizens, despite volatility and war, Yellen also made a reference to democracies’ role in ensuring minorities’ rights.“India and the United States are the world’s largest democracies. We are living at a critical time for the cause of freedom around the world. Democracies require our constant attention and nurturing. It is important for all democracies to renew our commitment to civil liberties and human rights, including for all our minorities, at home and abroad.“And we must continue to cultivate the economic vitality that is tied to our democratic traditions. That’s an open, inclusive, and competitive economy where new ideas can grow and thrive, with the stability and reliability accorded by adherence to the rule of law.”This is not the first time this year that a high-ranking US representative has referred to India’s human rights records. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had in April said the United States was monitoring what he described as a rise in human rights abuses in India by some officials, in a rare direct rebuke by Washington of the Asian nation’s rights record.On November 8, after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said India will continue buying Russian oil as it is advantageous for the country.October data shows that Russia is now the largest foreign source of oil for India, surpassing traditional sellers Saudi Arabia and Iraq.“The US and India are ‘natural allies,’ in the words of a former Indian prime minister,” Yellen said, adding that both countries waged similar fights for independence “to attain freedom and dignity.” The former prime minister is assumed to be Atal Bihari Vajpayee.Yellen also said that people around the world were looking to the US and India and asking: “Can democracies meet the economic needs of their citizens? Can they stand up to bullies and cooperate on the most intractable global problems?”She said the two countries could answer sceptics by taking actions over the next year and beyond that could “demonstrate the capacity of our democracies to deliver for our people.”“I am confident that we will succeed,” Yellen added.Among these actions are goals for India’s leadership of the Group of 20 major economies next year, which should focus on the countries’ shared priorities for boosting investments to fight climate change, breaking a logjam in restructuring debts for poorer countries and improving access to the digital economy.“India’s G20 year is a chance to accelerate global coordination on debt restructuring,” Yellen said.(With Reuters inputs)