Modi dials Putin and Biden after Ukraine visit
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin after talking with US President Joe Biden about his recent landmark visit to Kiev.
In a statement on Tuesday, Modi’s office said the two leaders “exchanged views on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict,” and that the prime minister shared insights with Putin from his recent visit to Kiev. Modi also stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to find a resolution.
The Kremlin confirmed that Modi had briefed Putin on his visit to Kiev and stressed his commitment to resolving hostilities through political-diplomatic means, adding that the Indian president “shared his principled assessment of the destructive policies of the Kiev authorities and their Western patrons” as well as Moscow’s approach to the crisis.
The call came a day after Modi and Biden also discussed the Ukraine conflict, with both sides saying the conversation also focused on the prime minister’s visit to Kiev. The two leaders also stressed their commitment to a peaceful resolution of the hostilities.
Biden and Modi also discussed the regional agenda. New Delhi said that the pair had expressed their shared concern over the situation in Bangladesh, including about the safety and security of local minorities, especially Hindus.
The White House’s readout, however, failed to mention this. Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal remarked on X that it is “difficult to comprehend the US position,” and suggested that Washington was promoting Bangladesh’s narrative that “the Hindu minority is either safe or reports on their plight are exaggerated.”
Modi traveled to the Ukrainian capital last week, where he met Vladimir Zelensky and declared that India would not be a “neutral or an indifferent bystander.” Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that Modi wanted “practical engagement” and urged all actors to work out “innovative solutions” to achieve peace.
Meanwhile, an earlier Bloomberg report claimed that Modi did not intend to act as a mediator but rather as a leader willing to relay communications between Kiev and Moscow.
In early July, the Indian prime minister embarked on a visit to Moscow, where he held face-to-face talks with Putin. At the time, Zelensky expressed “huge” disappointment with the visit, while the US cautioned India – which has had close ties with Russia since the days of the Soviet Union – against deepening ties with Moscow.
