Russia bad business, US tells India as Putin visits

The United States warned Friday that now was not the right time to do business with Russia as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepared to visit India.

The visit will be Putin’s first since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi swept to power in May and is expected to focus on boosting two-way trade, which currently stands at $10 billion, Indian government officials said.

The leaders of the longtime allies will sign more than 15 agreements, with discussions on the profitable rough diamond trade also expected to take place.

But Russian leaders have been heavily sanctioned by the US and EU for their support of pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine as well as for Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea earlier this year.

Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters “there’s a lot of rumors often of trade deals or economic deals, but let’s see what’s actually put into practice here.”

“As we’ve said before, now is not the time for business as usual with Russia,” she added.

“We’ve conveyed this, certainly, to our allies and to our partners across the world.”