Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his “friend” Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Tuesday that continuing to bomb Ukraine would not “solve the problems,” calling for “a path to peace through dialogue.”
The Russian president has repeatedly stressed, after more than two years of fighting and bombing, that a ceasefire and talks are only possible if Ukraine capitulates to its demands, namely that kyiv cedes five regions and renounces its alliance with the West.
A traditional ally of Moscow, India has never explicitly condemned the Russian offensive and Mr Modi’s visit to Russia, his first since the start of the conflict in February 2022, comes the day after a series of deadly Russian strikes in Ukraine and the same day as a NATO summit in Washington intended in particular to anchor Western support for the Ukrainians.
“As a friend, I also said that for a better future for the next generation, peace is of utmost importance,” Mr Modi said, speaking in Hindi, sitting next to Vladimir Putin.
“I know that war cannot solve problems, solutions and peace talks cannot be achieved amidst bombs, guns and bullets,” Modi said, calling for “finding a path to peace through dialogue.”
It is not certain, however, that the Indian Prime Minister’s appeal will change things, as Vladimir Putin, who said he was “grateful for the attention” paid by his counterpart to the conflict in Ukraine, insists that this country must capitulate.
Ukraine, for its part, has brushed aside conditions that it considers unacceptable.
Especially since its territory continues to be bombarded daily by the Russian army, which on Monday carried out one of the deadliest attacks targeting kyiv and in particular affecting a children’s hospital (at least 31 dead).
A major children’s hospital was hit there, sparking international outrage.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, exasperated by Narendra Modi’s trip to Moscow, described it as a “devastating blow to peace efforts.”
The Indian Prime Minister, however, also expressed his displeasure with Vladimir Putin: “When innocent children are murdered, we see them die, the heart suffers and this pain is unbearable,” he noted.
“Constructive” discussion
The two leaders had a “constructive” discussion on Ukraine, according to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Mr. Modi, for his part, described the exchange as “fruitful”, having taken with Vladimir Putin “important decisions to strengthen cooperation” bilaterally in “trade, security, agriculture, technology”.
Before their discussions, they had visited an exhibition on the history of nuclear power together on Tuesday at noon, after an “informal” one-on-one the previous evening.
The United States had previously urged Mr Modi to stress Ukraine’s “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity” during the visit, which comes on the same day as the NATO meeting, which Volodymyr Zelensky is due to attend.
The Kremlin has already assured that it is “unlikely” that the Indian leader’s calls for peace will be “heard” by kyiv’s allies.
Russia is a key supplier of arms and cheap oil to India, although its confrontation with the West and rapprochement with China over the conflict in Ukraine have had an impact on its relations with New Delhi.
The United States and its Western allies have cultivated ties with India in recent years to counter China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region while pressuring it to move away from Moscow.
Russian oil
A member of BRICS alongside Russia and China, India is a supporter of a multipolar world and at the same time continues to develop its security relations with the United States.
Narendra Modi, who won a third term as head of the world’s most populous country in June, last visited Russia in 2019. Two years later, at the end of 2021, he welcomed Vladimir Putin to New Delhi.
While Russian arms sales to India have declined significantly over the past two years, India has been buying large quantities of Russian oil at a discount since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
But India also views with suspicion the strong rapprochement underway between its great Chinese rival and Moscow.
After Moscow, Narendra Modi is expected in Vienna, for the first visit of an Indian leader to the Austrian capital since 1983.