Washington DC [US] June 9 (ANI): Former US Deputy National Security Advisor (NSA) Victoria Coates has said that the Biden administration declined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direct request for increased US natural gas exports in 2023 amid Washington’s sanctions on Russian oil due to the war in Ukraine.
In an interview with ANI, Coates said one of the major setbacks that was noticed in US-India ties during the Biden administration was its decision not to expand natural gas exports to India despite a direct request from PM Modi, arguing that greater energy cooperation could help remove a key irritant, referring to India-Russia ties, in India-US relations and strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
“The other thing the Biden folk did is they turned down Prime Minister Modi’s direct request in, I believe, the summer of 2023, for increased US natural gas exports. It was devastating for a whole host of reasons,” Coates said.
She argued that with the United States now possessing significantly expanded natural gas production capacity, Washington should revisit energy cooperation with India and help reduce New Delhi’s dependence on Russian energy imports.
“Because we have now so much increased capacity in natural gas, we need to look at that, figure out what India’s needs are, how we can make up for those imports of Russian gas and cut that off. And then I think we’ll remove that irritant and we can go forward in a really fantastic partnership,” she said.
In August 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that New Delhi’s imports from Russia increased after conventional energy supplies were redirected to Europe in the wake of the war in Ukraine, noting that since the outbreak of the conflict, the US also supported India’s procurement of Russian oil, viewing it as a measure that helped maintain stability in global energy markets.
The statement came after India faced criticism from the US and the European Union for purchasing Russian oil following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict.
“India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict.The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability,” the MEA statement read.
Coates, who served as deputy national security advisor for the Middle East and North Africa during President Donald Trump’s first administration and is currently vice president at the Heritage Foundation, said that the relationship between India and the US remains fundamentally strong and is supported by the personal rapport between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump.
At the same time, Coates described India’s longstanding ties with Russia, particularly its energy relationship, as a source of concern for Washington in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
“I think the relationship was obviously very strong in the first term. The personal relationship between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump is real and sincere. And that is a great asset to both of us. And I thought the visit in January of 2025 was very successful,” she said.
“There is an irritant in India’s legacy relationship with Russia, particularly regarding Ukraine,” the former US Deputy NSA added.
Drawing a comparison with Trump’s first term, Coates noted that the administration had worked with partners to offset India’s dependence on Iranian oil after US sanctions reduced Iranian exports to zero.
She also criticised the Biden administration for encouraging India to continue importing and refining Russian oil, saying the policy was legal but ran counter to US strategic interests in Ukraine.
“The Biden administration actually encouraged India to continue importing Russian oil, in particular, refining it and then selling it as an Indian product, all of which is perfectly legal. But it completely undermined our strategic interests in Ukraine. And that’s been very frustrating to the president [Trump],” she said.
Despite these differences, Coates expressed optimism about the future of India-US ties, saying the relationship extends far beyond trade and has immense potential in areas such as security, technology and workforce development.
“I wouldn’t call it just a trading partnership. I think it’s going to be so much more than that. It’s going to be security. It’s going to be technology. It’s going to be workforce. The possibilities are just endless. And I think it’s hugely in both of our best interests,” she added. (ANI)