LONDON, 20 April (Reuters)- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will offer to help India cut reliance on Russian oil and defence equipment when he begins a two-day visit this week that will test his diplomatic skills and provide brief respite from a row raging at home.

On his first trip to India as prime minister, starting on Thursday (Apr 21), Johnson will discuss strengthening security co-operation in meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a spokesperson for the British leader said.

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Western allies have called for India to speak out against the war. India, which is the world's biggest buyer of Russia's weapons and imports its oil, abstained in a United Nations vote condemning the invasion and has not imposed sanctions on Moscow.

Modi has expressed concern over the killings of civilians.

US President Joe Biden told Modi earlier this month that buying more oil from Russia was not in India's interest. Johnson will not lecture Modi on the matter, his spokesperson said.

Uday Bhaskar, a director at the Society For Policy Studies in New Delhi, said the Indian government would listen carefully to Johnson's message if it was made respectfully, but there was little Britain could do in practice to replace Russia as a strategic ally.

"The problem is Britain can't solve India's dependence on Russia. It doesn't have enough oil or the right type of military equipment to sell," Bhaskar said.