By Girish Linganna
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday July 9 and emphasised that conflicts could not be resolved through war, stating, Peace is of the utmost importance. Russias state-run Sputnik news agency quoted Putin as thanking Modi for his efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis peacefully.
Indian Prime Ministeri was in Russia on a two-day visit. On Monday, the Russian forces attacked a childrens hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine, during an airstrike that killed over 40 people. The attack was part of Russias ongoing two-year conflict with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy too to X (formerly Twitter), criticizing Modis meeting with Putin, calling it a devastating blow to peace efforts.
According to media reports, speaking in Hindi during his meeting with Putin, Modi said, As a friend, I have always believed that peace is essential for the bright future of our next generation. But I also know that solutions cannot be found on the battlefield. Amid bombs, guns and bullets, solutions and peace talks cannot succeed. We must pursue peace through dialogue. Modi mentioned that Putin and he had discussed the Ukraine war during an informal dinner on Monday and that India was ready to help in any way possible to restore the peace.
But Modi did not fail to add that, when innocent children were killed, the pain was unbearable. Zelenskyy criticized Modi for embracing the worlds most bloody criminal on the same day that a Russian missile struck Ukraines largest childrens hospital.
The US and Western countries are closely monitoring Modis visit to Russia. NATO is holding its three-day annual summit in Washington, celebrating the alliances 75th anniversary. On Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller mentioned that the US had shared its concerns with India about its relationship with Russia amid the Ukraine war. Miller described India as a strategic partner and underlined the need for India to urge Russia to respect the UN Charter and Ukraines sovereignty.
During a White House press briefing on Tuesday, spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre noted that Indias long-standing relationship with Russia could enable New Delhi to induce Putin to end the war in Ukraine. India has not directly condemned Russias invasion of Ukraine, but called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict. Despite the war, India continues to engage in trade with Russia, including purchasing Russian oil at discounted prices.
Earlier on Tuesday, during an event with the Indian community in Moscow, Modi praised Russia as a friend of India in times of both happiness and sorrow. He also commended Putins leadership in strengthening their partnership, emphasising that their relationship was based on mutual trust and respect.
This was Modis first visit to Russia since the Ukraine invasion in February 2022 and after beginning his third term as prime minister last month. Over the past decade, Modi has visited Russia six times and met Putin 17 times. Modi visited Russia at Putins invitation to revive their annual summit, which last took place when Putin had visited New Delhi in December 2021.
According to Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, the main focus of the talks between Modi and Putin was on economy. Other topics discussed included political cooperation, defence and security. In the defence sector, both leaders emphasised the importance of co-production. Modi and Putin set a goal to increase bilateral trade to $100 billion by 2030, up from the current $65 billion. At present, the trade balance is heavily tilted to favour Russia.
Modi also raised concerns about Indian nationals who had been misled into joining the Russian army, urging for their return. Moscow promised to release them soon. Kwatra estimated that there were 35-50 such nationals with 10 already back in India. Kwatra called the summit a success, noting that it addressed the current state of relations and outlined the vision for future partnerships.
In a joint statement after their summit, Modi and Putin praised the mutually beneficial India-Russia relations that cover a wide range of areas. These include security, trade, energy, technology, nuclear energy, space and humanitarian cooperation.
The leaders emphasised the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy, including direct engagement between the parties involved. They appreciated the efforts and proposals aimed at mediating and peacefully resolving the conflict in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.
India and Russia also released a separate leaders joint statement focusing on strategic economic cooperation through 2030. This statement included plans to balance bilateral trade by increasing the amount of goods India was exporting to Russia. The two nations signed nine agreements in various fields, such as trade and investment, climate change and medicine.
After the summit, Modi left for a two-day visit to Vienna, marking the first trip to the Austrian capital by an Indian prime minister in over 40 years. (IPA Service)
