For India, Russia is an important partner that it does not want to lose completely to China. This is why Prime Minister Modi is getting so close to Kremlin chief Putin that his neutrality on Ukraine is being called into question.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the close, decades-old bilateral relations during their official talks in Moscow. India and Russia share a “privileged strategic partnership,” Putin said at the meeting in the Kremlin. Trade between the two nations increased by 60 percent last year. According to the Indian Ministry of Commerce, it reached the equivalent of 60.5 billion euros, with Indian imports of oil and fertilizer from Russia making up the largest share.
“Every Indian feels in his heart that Russia is a friend of India in good times and bad,” Modi stressed at a meeting with representatives of the Indian community in Moscow. “This relationship is based on a strong foundation of mutual trust and mutual respect.” The 73-year-old also praised the leadership qualities of Putin (71).
China as an invisible topic
India has historically had good relations with Russia. The subcontinent also has good relations with Western countries, which want to work more closely with India in the face of an increasingly aggressive China. Russia’s proximity to China, on the other hand, is a thorn in India’s side.
“India is seen as a strong pillar of the new, emerging, multipolar world order,” Modi stressed. “When India talks about peace, dialogue and diplomacy, the whole world listens. Whenever the world faces a crisis, India is the first country to arrive there.”
India’s pragmatic stance on the Ukraine war
India is taking a pragmatic stance on the war in Ukraine. Because Russian oil is cheap due to Western sanctions, India has become one of the largest buyers. At the same time, the leadership in New Delhi is repeatedly calling on all sides to engage in dialogue. Putin thanked Modi for devoting his attention to a solution to the Ukraine conflict.
The Kremlin chief’s international contacts are restricted due to the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. The program for Modi has been all the more elaborate since Monday. Putin received his guest in his residence on the outskirts of Moscow. According to the Kremlin, the two not only spoke for three hours, they also rode together in an electric cart and watched a horse show.
Criticism from Ukraine
However, Modi’s warm embrace for Putin coincided with the images of a children’s hospital in Kiev destroyed by Russia and brought him criticism. “It is a great disappointment and a blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hugging the world’s bloodiest criminal in Moscow on such a day,” wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on X. In social networks in India, Modi was more likely to be defended: Like Western politicians, he primarily represents the interests of his country.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
