Modi – Putin Talk: India again Urges Russia to Solve Ukraine Issue through Dialogue and Diplomacy
NEW DELHI, July 1: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which he reiterated India’s longstanding position on the Ukraine situation, favouring dialogue and diplomacy.
It was Modi’s fourth telephonic conversation with Putin since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. During their conversation, the two leaders also discussed global issues, including the state of the international energy and food markets, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
The two leaders reviewed the implementation of the decisions taken during President Putin’s visit to India in December 2021, In particular, they exchanged ideas on how bilateral trade in agricultural goods, fertilizers and pharma products could be encouraged further, it said.
“In the context of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister reiterated India’s long-standing position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy,” the PMO said. The leaders agreed to maintain regular consultations on global and bilateral issues, it said.
The conversation with President Putin come days after Modi in an apparent reference to the Ukraine crisis, had noted that the G7 and those invited at its summit in Germany were meeting amid an atmosphere of global tension and asserted that India has always been in favour of peace.
“Even in the present situation, we have constantly urged for the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The impact of this geopolitical tension is not just limited to Europe. The rising prices of energy and food grains are affecting all the countries,” he had said in his remarks at a G7 summit session. While India has not criticised Russia, it has condemned the killings in Bucha and called for an international probe — which is perceived as moving closer to the US-led west.
He had also said the energy and security of developing countries is particularly at risk. Modi had also raised concerns over food security amid the conflict in Ukraine.
While Russia has emerged as a major oil supplier to India, India has always tried to maintain a diplomatic balance between the US-led west and Russia, as the conflict has now been going on for the past four months. It has always stuck to its position that New Delhi has called for cessation of hostilities and advocated the path of diplomacy and dialogue to resolve the conflict.
India has not joined the sanctions imposed by the US and Europe on Russia, and Moscow sees this as a window of opportunity to engage with New Delhi. The conversation on trade in agricultural products, fertilisers and pharma products is important in that context.
New Delhi, which does not want Moscow to side with Beijing, has also maintained robust communication with Russia so that it has uninterrupted supply of defence equipment — both new and spares. About 60 to 70 per cent of India’s defence supplies come from Russia, and this dependence is crucial at a time when India and China are currently locked in a border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Modi, who attended the G-7 summit with US President Joe Biden and other western leaders in Germany, also participated virtually in the BRICS summit, which was attended by Putin and chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
(Manas Dasgupta)
