Britain's Johnson to offer India help building its own fighter jets

Britain will offer to step up defence cooperation with India, such as help to build its own fighter jets and faster delivery of defence equipment, during talks between their prime ministers on Friday, as the West tries to lure India away from Russia.

On his first visit to New Delhi as prime minister, Boris Johnson will discuss with Narendra Modi ways to boost trade and security ties with the South Asian country that buys more than half of its military hardware from Russia.

"This is a very auspicious moment in a relationship and friendship between two democracies," Johnson said after Modi briefly welcomed him at the presidential palace ahead of the talks on the final day of a two-day visit.

"I don't think the relationship has ever been as good."

The effort follows an attempt last month by the United States to move India away from Russia, with its own offer of more defence and energy sales, after President Joe Biden called India "somewhat shaky" in acting against Russia.

Britain hopes its offer of closer security ties with the West will encourage India to distance itself from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation.

India abstained from a United Nations vote condemning the invasion and has not imposed sanctions on Moscow, taking a stance that sparked off a recent flurry of diplomatic activity, such has visits by the foreign ministers of Russia and China.