US ‘delighted’ about Modi’s upcoming visit to Kiev
A senior US official has expressed “delight” at Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Kiev. His remarks came weeks after Washington expressed concerns over the Indian prime minister’s recent visit to Moscow.
Addressing a gathering in New Delhi on Wednesday, US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma, a former ambassador to India, said he was looking forward to the outcome of Modi’s visit to Kiev on Friday.
“I am delighted about this visit and I think it is an important visit,” he said, adding that the global community has “taken a stand against Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
“We understand India’s long relationship with Russia, and India has to make its own determination of where it wants to be,” Verma stated, claiming that this is a “very consequential period for the defense of liberty, freedom, and the rule of law.”
Modi stated on Wednesday while embarking on a plane to Poland that he will share his perspective on the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict during his visit to Kiev.
Washington’s outlook regarding the trip contrasts starkly with its reaction to the Indian leader’s recent visit to Russia for a bilateral summit with President Vladimir Putin. Notably, Modi will be one of few international leaders to have visited both Moscow and Kiev since the outset of the current hostilities in February, 2022.
Modi’s trip to Moscow irked officials in Washington, according to media reports. US officials had acknowledged that the visit was “difficult” and “uncomfortable” for the Biden administration, which shared its concerns during a series of meetings and phone calls with Indian officials.
Days after Modi’s Moscow trip, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti commented that “in times of conflict there is no such thing as strategic autonomy.” He went on to suggest that “no war is distant anymore.”
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky condemned Modi’s meeting with Putin as a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.” New Delhi later reportedly summoned the Ukrainian ambassador over Zelensky’s comments.
While New Delhi has called for an end to the conflict through dialogue and discussions, it has insisted that Moscow be made part of the peace efforts. Although an Indian delegation was present at the Swiss peace conference held earlier this year, they refused to sign the final document, as Russia had not been invited.
Addressing the Indian diaspora in Poland on Wednesday, Modi reiterated New Delhi’s call for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict and repeated a statement he made in 2022 while meeting Putin in Uzbekistan – “today’s is not the era of war.” Addressing the press in Warsaw, Modi asserted that his country is ready to extend all possible cooperation for the restoration of “peace and stability” in Ukraine and the Middle East.
While Modi is willing to relay communications between Kiev and Moscow, he will not try to mediate an end to the conflict, Bloomberg reported last week, citing people familiar with the matter.
