Day after biden putin dials pm modi over kyiv trip

Day after biden putin dials pm modi over kyiv trip

A day after he briefed US President Joe Biden about his visit to Ukraine, PM Modi Tuesday ‘shared insights’ about the same with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone conversation initiated by the Russian side. In this latest affirmation of India's balancing act on the Russia-Ukraine war, something which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during Modi's Kyiv visit he didn't want India to do, Modi called for a sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders for an early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Modi-Putin

Modi's visit to Ukraine followed his trip to Russia last month that had riled the Americans with its timing, coinciding as it did with the NATO summit in the US. Significantly, Moscow said Modi conveyed his ‘readiness’ to visit Russia again this year for the BRICS summit in Oct. The talks with Putin took place a day after Biden called Modi and commended him for his ‘historic’ trip and his message of peace.

Stressed on peaceful resolution to conflict: Modi on Putin talks.

A Russian readout said Narendra Modi in his conversation with Putin emphasised his interest in contributing to a possible political and diplomatic settlement of the situation ‘around Ukraine’. This follows Modi’s assertion in Kyiv expressing willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace.

Modi’s remarks to Putin, as mentioned in an Indian statement, echoed India-Ukraine joint statement in which he called for a sincere and practical engagement to ‘develop innovative solutions that will have broad acceptability’.

‘Spoke with Prez Putin today. Discussed measures to further strengthen special and privileged strategic partnership. Exchanged perspectives on Russia-Ukraine conflict and my insights from the recent visit to Ukraine. Reiterated India’s firm commitment to support an early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict,’ said Modi in a post on X.

Ministry of external affairs said in a statement that Modi underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as well as sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders to achieve an abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict, adding that the two agreed to remain in touch.

That peace might remain elusive in the days to come was obvious from the Russian readout that also said Putin shared with Modi a fundamental assessment of ‘destructive line of Kyiv authorities and their Western patrons, outlining key Russian approaches to ways to resolve the conflict’. Modi and Putin spoke a day after the Kremlin pledged response to the Ukrainian incursion into the Kursk region and described as irrelevant all ceasefire talks.

In his meeting with Modi, Zelensky had said he wanted India to shun its balancing act and be on the side of Ukraine.

There were discussions also on trade and other agreements that they finalised during Modi’s visit to Russia. ‘Satisfaction was expressed with the level of interaction between the two countries in BRICS. Modi confirmed his readiness to take part in the summit of the association held under Russian chairmanship in Kazan in Oct of this year,’ said the Russian statement.