The United States has dismissed questions about India's participation in the recent multinational military exercises hosted by Russia and attended by countries like China, saying that India is a sovereign nation and it can make its own decisions.
"Certainly, we have appreciated our partnership with India in the region. They're an important partner, as you know. And we'll continue to work closely with them," Pentagon Spokesman Brig Gen Patrick Ryder told reporters while responding to a question on India participating in Vostok military exercises with Russia and China.
"India's a sovereign nation, they can make their own decisions in terms of who they're going to conduct exercises with," Ryder told reporters on Tuesday.
The Vostok military exercises was held from September 1 to 7 at different locations in Russia's Far East amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry, the Vostok 2022 exercise involved more than 50,000 troops and over 5,000 weapons units, including 140 aircraft and 60 warships. The drills engaged troops from China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Syria and several ex-Soviet nations.
"We have a very close partnership and relationship - defence relationship with India. We obviously will continue to work with India and further develop that relationship," Ryder said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Pentagon's China Report Has A Startling Revelation About Its Nuclear Weapons Unnamed Airline Had Narrow 'Miss' With UFO Near New York, Pentagon Report Reveals Donald Trump's Team Making List Of Pentagon Officers To Fire: Report 4-Year-Old Boy Run Over By Speeding Creta In Mumbai, Teen Driver Arrested BJP Leader Who Lost To Priyanka Gandhi Challenges Election, Congress Reacts Germany Refused To Extradite Saudi Suspect? Suicidal Empathy, Says Elon Musk BJP Leader Who Lost To Priyanka Gandhi Challenges Election, Congress Reacts "Frontal Attack On Constitution": Congress Chief Slams Poll Rules Tweak 4 Dead As Ambulance Helicopter Crashes Into Hospital Building In Turkey Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.