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After Ukraine visit and call from Biden, Modi speaks to Putin
THE HINDU

After Ukraine visit and call from Biden, Modi speaks to Putin

Flurry of diplomatic activity raises speculation, but no clarity on whether New Delhi is playing peacemaker in the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Three days after his return from Ukraine, and a day after he “briefed” U.S. President Joseph Biden about his visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and “shared insights” from his trip to Kyiv where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to a Kremlin readout of the call, Mr. Modi also confirmed his participation at the BRICS summit to be hosted by Mr. Putin in the Russian city of Kazan from October 22-24 this year.

Mr. Modi’s recent travel to Moscow and Kyiv, and calls with Mr. Putin and Mr. Biden, have raised speculation that New Delhi is working on a peace initiative that would bring the Russian and Ukrainian leaders together for talks, but the government has not so far confirmed it.

“The two leaders exchanged views on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Prime Minister [Modi] shared insights from his recent visit to Ukraine,” the Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday about Mr. Modi’s discussions with Mr. Putin. “[Mr. 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,” it added.

The readout made no specific mention of Russia’s large-scale assault on Ukraine on Monday, in which it rained approximately 200 missiles and drones on targets from Kyiv to Odesa, one of the largest such coordinated attacks during the war, which Washington condemned.

In its statement, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Mr. Modi had “informed [Mr. Putin] about his recent visit to Kiev [Kyiv], and stressed his commitment to bringing about a settlement for Ukraine by political and diplomatic means”.

It said Mr. Putin had shared his “principled assessment of the destructive policies of the Kiev authorities and their Western patrons, and went on to highlight Russia’s approaches to resolving this conflict”, adding that the two leaders had discussed implementing the new economic agreements signed by India and Russia in July. It also said Mr. Modi “reaffirmed his readiness” to participate in the Kazan BRICS summit.

Meanwhile, the U.S. White House released its readout of the call between Mr. Modi and Mr. Biden on Monday, and said that Mr. Biden had “commended” Mr. Modi for his “historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine, including its energy sector.” While the White House readout made no mention of a peace proposal by India, it said both leaders had affirmed their support for a peaceful resolution to the conflict on the basis of international law and the UN charter. 

Speaking to the media after the call, U.S. National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said that the U.S. would “welcome any nation that is willing to be helpful and to start that conversation [for peace] by ascribing to President Zelenskyy’s just peace proposal and getting his perspectives”.

Ministry officials have declined to comment explicitly on whether India is playing mediator between Moscow and Kyiv, as leaders of Turkey and Hungary have in the past. In Kyiv on August 23, when asked repeatedly about whether India had proposed any peace initiative, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar only said that “any exercise, if it has to be productive, will naturally have to involve the other party concerned”, referring to Russia. In Moscow on July 9, then Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had said that India is “ready to make all possible contributions that can be made to arrive at peace and stability when it comes to Russia-Ukraine conflict”.

Meanwhile, Mr. Zelenskyy himself told Indian media in Kyiv that India was one of the Global South countries that he had suggested as possible venues for the second edition of the Burgenstock Peace summit held in June, due to be held next in November. However, he added the rider that it would be difficult for a country (like India) that did not sign on to the communique of the first peace summit, to host the second one. Read CommentsREAD LATERPRINT


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