File picture of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kremlin in Moscow
| Photo Credit: via Reuters

Observing that India has a longstanding relationship with Russia, the U.S. has said that it has encouraged New Delhi to “utilise” that relationship with Moscow and urge President Vladimir Putin to end the “illegal war” against Ukraine.

These remarks were made by State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller at his daily news conference on Monday.

“India has a longstanding relationship with Russia. I think that’s well-known. And we have encouraged India to utilise that relationship with Russia, that longstanding relationship and the unique position that they have, to urge President Putin to end his illegal war and to find a just peace, a lasting peace to this conflict; to tell Putin to respect the UN Charter, to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.

“That’s what we’ll continue to impress upon the Government of India, which is an important partner of ours when it comes to their relationship with Russia,” Mr. Miller said in response to a question.

Mr. Miller made similar remarks on July 9 soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi left Russia.

Mr. Modi was in Russia for two days from July 8-9 for the 22nd India-Russia annual summit that has been watched closely by the West amidst the raging Ukraine conflict.

This was the Prime Minister’s first visit to Russia since the war started between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022.

During his talks with Mr. Putin on July 9, Prime Minister Modi told President Putin that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed amid bombs and bullets.

India has been stoutly defending its “special and privileged strategic partnership” with Russia and maintained the momentum in the ties notwithstanding the Ukraine conflict.

India has not yet condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has consistently pitched for a resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, the US has urged India to “utilize” its longstanding relationship with Russia and tell President Vladimir Putin to end his “illegal war” in Ukraine.

The spokesperson of the US State Department, Matthew Miller, in a press briefing on Monday not only noted the strong Delhi-Moscow ties but also urged India to tell Putin to respect the UN Charter.

“So India has a longstanding relationship with Russia. I think that’s well-known. And we have – speaking for the United States – encouraged India to utilize that relationship with Russia, that longstanding relationship and the unique position that they have, to urge President Putin to end his illegal war and to find a just peace, a lasting peace to this conflict; to tell Vladimir Putin to respect the UN Charter, to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Mr Miller said.

He further added, “That’s what we’ll continue to impress upon the Government of India, who is an important partner of ours when it comes to their relationship with Russia.”

Mr Miller’s remarks came in response to a media query on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia, which the Ukrainian President termed as a devastating blow to the peace efforts.

PM Modi, who was on an official visit to Moscow recently, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin there and outlined their goals to eliminate non-tariff trade barriers and achieve a mutual trade volume of over USD 100 billion by 2030.

The two leaders also decided to continue dialogue on the liberalization of bilateral trade, including the possibility of establishing the EAEU-India Free Trade Area, according to the Leaders’ Joint Statement released following the meeting.

They also decided to work on developing a bilateral settlement system using national currencies and the consistent introduction of digital financial instruments for mutual settlements.

In Russia, PM Modi was ceremoniously presented with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, Russia’s highest civilian honour, by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Notably, the award was bestowed on PM Modi in the year 2019, but he received it physically during his visit to the nation.

During his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin there, PM Modi called peace “most important” for future generations. He said that there is no solution on the battlefield and added that peace talks do not succeed amid bombs, guns, and bullets.

“As a friend, I have always said that for the bright future of our coming generations, peace is of utmost importance. But I also know that solutions are not possible on battlegrounds. Amid bombs, guns, and bullets, solutions and peace talks do not succeed. We will have to follow the path to peace only through talks,” PM Modi had said.

It was PM Modi’s first visit to Russia since the war started between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022. India has always advocated “peace and diplomacy” for resolving conflict between India and Russia but continued to purchase Russian oil.

PM Modi said that everyone who believes in humanity is pained when there is a loss of lives. He further stated that it is “heart-wrenching” when innocent children are dying.

“Be it war, conflicts, terror attacks – everyone who believes in humanity is pained when there is loss of lives. But when innocent children are murdered, when we see innocent children dying, it is heart-wrenching. That pain is immense. I also held a detailed discussion with you over this,” he had said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

An overview of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and fires, in Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine. File photo
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

India has abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that demanded that Russia immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on Thursday, July 11, 2024, with 99 votes in favour, nine against and 60 abstentions, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Those voting against the resolution included Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Russia and Syria.

Also read: What are the risks surrounding Zaporizhzhya, the nuclear power plant in a war zone?

The resolution titled ‘Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant’ demanded that Russia “immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.”

It also demanded that Russia urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and immediately return the plant to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine to ensure its safety and security. It called for the “immediate cessation of the attacks” by Russia against the critical energy infrastructure of Ukraine, which increases the risk of a nuclear accident or incident at all nuclear facilities of Ukraine.

The draft resolution was introduced by Ukraine and was sponsored by over 50 member states, including France, Germany and the United States.

It called upon Moscow, until it returns the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant of Ukraine to the full control of the sovereign and competent authorities of Ukraine, to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency Support and Assistance Mission to Zaporizhzhia with timely and full access to all areas at the plant that are important for nuclear safety and security to allow the Agency to report fully on the nuclear safety and security situation at the site.

Resolution do not reflect reality: Russia

In the explanation of the vote before the vote on the resolution, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy said the General Assembly has “unfortunately” adopted many documents that are non-consensual, politicised and do not reflect reality.

“Make no mistake: votes in favour of today’s draft will be regarded by Kyiv, Washington, Brussels and London as evidence of support for their policy of further escalating the Ukrainian conflict to the detriment of steps taken by a sensible part of the international community to find a peaceful, sustainable and long-term solution to the conflict,” he said.

Washington:

India will continue to be a strategic partner for the US despite concerns over its ties with Russia, the Biden Administration has said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Russia for two days for the 22nd India-Russia annual summit that has been watched closely by the West amidst the Ukraine conflict.

During his talks with President Putin on Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi told President Putin that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed amid bombs and bullets.

On Tuesday, spokespersons of the Pentagon and the State Department reacted separately to questions on India’s relationship with Russia and PM Modi’s visit to Moscow.

“India and Russia have had a relationship for a very long time. From a US perspective, India is a strategic partner with whom we continue to engage in full and frank dialogue to include their relationship with Russia. As it relates to the NATO summit being this week, of course, like you, the world is focused on that,” Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters at a news conference.

On the other hand, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference that the US has been quite clear about its “concerns about India’s relationship with Russia.”

“We have expressed those privately directly to the Indian government, and continue to do so. And that has not changed,” Mr Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.

India has been open its “special and privileged strategic partnership” with Russia and maintained the momentum in the ties.

India has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but has consistently pitched for a resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Maj Gen Ryder said: “I do not think anybody will be surprised if (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin tries to represent this visit in a way that seeks to somehow show that he is not isolated from the rest of the world. And the fact of the matter is President Putin’s war of choice has isolated Russia from the rest of the world, and it has come at great cost. Their war of aggression has come at great cost, and the facts bear that out,” he said.

“So we will continue to view India as a strategic partner. We will continue to have a robust dialogue with them,” Maj Gen Ryder said.

“He (Putin) is not looking so isolated with the head of the world’s largest democracy being in Moscow, embracing him right now,” a reporter asked.

Maj Gen Ryder responded by saying that Prime Minister Modi also met recently with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and offered his assurances that India will continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.

“I think that we trust that India will support efforts to realise an enduring and just peace for Ukraine and will convey to Mr Putin the importance of adhering to the UN charter and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

Mr Miller said the US continues to “urge India to support efforts to realise an enduring and just peace in Ukraine, based on the principles of the UN charter based on upholding Ukraine’s territorial integrity and its sovereignty. And that will continue to be what we will engage with India about.”
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Moscow:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made a wholehearted endorsement of India’s ties with Russia, describing the old ally as India’s “all-weather friend” and lauding President Vladimir Putin for strengthening the bilateral relations over the past two decades of his leadership.

Addressing the Indian diaspora, he said the India-Russia relationship is built on the strong pillar of mutual trust and respect, asserting that their ties were tested time and again only to emerge stronger every time.

PM Modi’s high praise of Russia as an ally and President Putin’s leadership came amid ongoing efforts by the Western world to isolate the Russian leader over the war in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Modi also made a veiled criticism of the “influence-oriented global order” which endured for decades.

“But, what the world needs right now is confluence not influence and no one can deliver this message better than India which has a strong tradition of worshipping confluences,” he said.

He said India is being seen as a strong pillar in the “emerging multi-polar world order”.

“When it speaks of peace, dialogue and diplomacy, then the whole world listens.” PM Modi has often stressed the need for dialogue and diplomacy to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Commenting on India’s ties with Russia, he said he has been for decades an admirer of the unique partnership between the two countries.

“On hearing the word Russia, the first word that comes to the mind of every Indian is India’s ‘sukh-dukh ka saathi’ (all-weather friend) and a trusted ally,” he said.

“No matter how low the temperature dips below zero degrees during Russian winter, India-Russia friendship has always remained in ‘plus’ and been full of warmth. This relationship is built on the strong foundation of mutual trust and mutual respect,” PM Modi said.

He said he had a special appreciation for “his friend” President Putin for steering the India-Russia friendship to greater heights over the last two decades.

As prime minister, he said it was his sixth visit to Russia and the two leaders have met 17 times during this period.

“All these meetings have added to our mutual trust and respect,” he said, praising Putin for helping the evacuation of Indian students during the war. He expressed gratitude to the Russian leader and Russian citizens for this.

To the applause from the audience, he announced that India will open two new consulates in Russia to boost travel and trade between the two countries.

Recalling the celebrated Hindi song ‘Sar pe lal topi Rusi, phir bhi dil hai Hindustani’ picturised on Raj Kapoor, he said it may be an old number but its sentiments remain evergreen.

He also mentioned Mithun Chakraborty, another Indian actor who earned a big following in Russia, as he spoke about the deep cultural ties between the two countries.

PM Modi said India was undergoing a transformation and the pace of development over the past 10 years has taken the world by surprise. Even the world now acknowledges what he used to say during his poll campaign that the 21st century belongs to India, he added.

The fast pace of India’s development will write a “new chapter” in the world’s progress, he said.

He said India was changing as it believes in the strength of its 140 crore citizens who are now dreaming of turning their resolve of ‘Viksit Bharat’ into reality.

“Today’s India is brimming with self-confidence, unlike the situation before 2014 when the country was sunk in despair, and this is our biggest capital,” PM Modi said.

In this context, he mentioned India’s win in the T20 World Cup and added that India’s teams in different sports were giving a historic performance.

“The youth India of today does not concede defeat till the last ball and the last moment,” he said, adding that the country is sending a strong team for the Paris Olympics and its athletes will show their mettle.

“When people like you bless us, even the biggest goals can be achieved. You all know that today’s India achieves whatever goal it sets its mind to,” he said.

He said it was in his DNA to challenge all the challenges and India will write a new chapter of global growth in coming years.

PM Modi said it was exactly a month ago that he took oath as prime minister for the third consecutive term when he had made the resolve to work at thrice the strength and speed to fulfil the aspirations of the country.

“Our government envisions making India the world’s third-largest economy, build three crore homes for the poor and turn three crore poor women in villages to ‘lakhpati didi’,” the prime minister said amid chants of ‘Modi, Modi’ and ‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai’.

He said India was the country which sent Chandrayaan to a place on the moon where no country has gone before and has given the work the most reliable model for digital transactions.

“India’s development of the past 10 years was just a trailer, we will see much faster growth in the next 10 years,” PM Modi asserted.

The Indian diaspora takes pride in the country’s achievements, he added.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

According to sources, India and Russia will sign “several” documents at the end of the talks on Tuesday, including a comprehensive joint statement, a vision statement, the future course on energy and trade, cooperation on investments in Russia’s Far East and a number of MoUs. The two sides are also discussing India’s desire to open new consulates in Russia, the sources confirmed.

According to sources, India and Russia will sign “several” documents at the end of the talks on Tuesday, including a comprehensive joint statement, a vision statement, the future course on energy and trade, cooperation on investments in Russia’s Far East and a number of MoUs. The two sides are also discussing India’s desire to open new consulates in Russia, the sources confirmed.

New Delhi:

As he travels to Moscow on a high-profile visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he is looking forward to reviewing all aspects of India-Russia ties with President Vladimir Putin and sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues.

PM Modi and Putin are set to explore ways to further expand bilateral relations in diverse areas at the 22nd India-Russia annual summit on Tuesday.

After concluding his engagements in Russia, PM Modi will leave for Austria in the first visit by an Indian prime minister to that country in over 40 years.

“The special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia has advanced over the past 10 years, including in the areas of energy, security, trade, investment, health, education, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges,” PM Modi said in his departure statement.

“I look forward to reviewing all aspects of bilateral cooperation with my friend President Vladimir Putin and sharing perspectives on various regional and global issues,” he said.

“We seek to play a supportive role for a peaceful and stable region. The visit will also provide me an opportunity to meet the vibrant Indian community in Russia,” PM Modi said.

The prime minister described Austria as India’s “steadfast and reliable partner” “In Austria, I will have the opportunity to meet President Alexander Van der Bellen and Chancellor Karl Nehammer,” PM Modi said.

“Austria is our steadfast and reliable partner and we share the ideals of democracy and pluralism.” “This is the first visit of an Indian prime minister in over 40 years. I look forward to my discussions to take our partnership to even greater heights in new and emerging areas of innovation, technology and sustainable development among others,” he said.

PM Modi said he was looking forward to exchanging views with business leaders from both sides to explore mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities.

“I will also be interacting with the Indian community in Austria which is well regarded for their professionalism and conduct,” he said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A file photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Given the “very trusting nature” of the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, no topic is off-limits for the two leaders when they meet here soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

The dates of Mr. Modi’s visit to Moscow will be announced a bit later but preparations for it are already in their final stages, Mr. Peskov said.

Mr. Putin and Mr. Modi will discuss regional and global security, trade and all other topics on the agenda during their meeting, Mr. Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency.

“We (Russia and India) jointly take part in integration processes, so regional affairs, regional security and global security are always on top of the agenda. In addition, of course, our bilateral trade and economic interaction is always a focal point,” the Kremlin official said, answering a question on what topics will be discussed at the negotiations between Mr. Putin and Mr. Modi.

‘Trusting nature’ of ties

Describing Prime Minister Modi’s visit as “very important”, the official noted that Moscow and New Delhi have “mutual political will” to develop cooperation in a variety of areas.

“Given the very trusting nature of the relationship between President Putin and Prime Minister Modi, we can expect that there will be an exchange of views on all issues that are on the agenda, and there are many of them,” Mr. Peskov added.

“We will announce this visit officially later, after coordination with our Indian friends, I can only confirm to you once again that the visit is in the final stages of preparation,” he said, replying to a question on the dates of Mr. Modi’s visit to Russia.

Diplomatic sources in New Delhi had said the Indian Prime Minister’s day-long visit is being planned around July 8, adding there is no finality on the date yet and various options are being explored.

Mr. Modi’s last visit to Russia was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the far east city of Vladivostok.

Summit after 3 years

If Mr. Modi travels to Russia, then he and President Putin are set to hold the India-Russia annual summit after a gap of three years.

The annual summit between the Indian Prime Minister and the Russian President is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries.

So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternatively in India and Russia.

The last summit was held on December 6, 2021, in New Delhi. Mr. Putin, as head of the Russian state, has visited India nine times.

A file photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow for a standalone State visit from July 8 to 9 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin that is expected to focus on strategic, economic and military ties, will reverse the perception of a “drift” in relations, said experts.

The Modi-Putin talks are expected to focus on the rise in India-Russia trade due to India’s import of oil, smoothening out payment issues arising from Western sanctions, build on previous conversations on the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime route, and conclude the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) agreement, that will pave the way for more defence exchanges.

Also read: Russia approves draft logistics agreement to be signed with India

Mr. Modi’s trip to Moscow is his first visit since 2015, and marks a return to the decades-old annual India-Russia summit format. He had met Mr. Putin in St. Petersburg in 2017, Sochi in 2018, Vladivostok in 2019 apart from Mr. Putin’s visits to India in 2016, 2018 and 2021. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan in 2022, but have not held the annual bilateral summit for the last three years.

“The break in regular summitry — initially due to Covid, and a rapidly changing international situation — make it imperative that both sides reverse the perception in the international community of a drift in bilateral relations,” said former Ambassador to Moscow Venkatesh Verma. “Hence, the visit is timely, but also overdue to recharge the wellsprings of the strategic partnership,” he told The Hindu.

Sources said the final details of Mr. Modi’s programme is still being finalised, and advance MEA and security teams are in Moscow to make arrangements for the visit, which has yet to be formally announced.

The PM’s trip, which is likely to be his first bilateral visit abroad in his third term, would place Russia on par with India’s closest neighbours that have normally been the destination of first visits by Indian Prime Ministers. The visit will also be a signal to Western countries including the U.S. and Europe that Mr. Modi intends to continue to “balance” India’s ties, two years since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began.

While the government has not announced any plans for Mr. Modi to visit Kyiv on this visit, he will travel to Vienna between July 9 and 10. Meanwhile, by travelling to Moscow next week for a bilateral visit, Mr. Modi might also indicate that he is not as keen to pursue India’s position at multilateral summits, particularly given China’s presence. This week, he has deputed External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to attend the SCO summit in Kazakhstan, and it remains to be seen whether Mr. Modi will now return to Russia for the BRICS summit in October.

Experts also said that Mr. Modi’s visit will allow him to get a “first-hand account” of how Russia’s war in Ukraine is proceeding, and also discuss thorny issues like the recruitment of Indians to work as Russian military “helpers” that India has opposed, as well as to speed up the supply of defence hardware and spares that have been delayed due to the war.

“The visit will go a long way in removing some of the apprehensions about waning political ties between the two countries, and allow the leaders to resolve pending issues,” said scholar and distinguished fellow at ORF Nandan Unnikrishnan, who travelled to Moscow last week for the “Primakov Readings International Forum” where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had said Mr. Modi’s visit “perfectly fits” into Russia’s strategic foreign policy line.

Mr. Lavrov said that India, like China had made a “choice” to deal with Russia in national currencies, adding that about 60% of India-Russia trade is now settled in them, despite the fact that both China and India are engaged economically with western countries that have sanctioned Russia. “They are fully aware of the discriminatory nature of what the West is doing,” Mr. Lavrov added.

On the bilateral front, officials said that India and Russia are discussing increased investments in the Chennai-Vladivostok maritime corridor and in Siberia, while India wants to source minerals from Russia. Issues that need to be sorted include insurance, and negotiating with ports in between for transit, a source said, adding that there may be some issues with ports in China. The maritime route presents a more effective option than the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) or other options, the source added.

(With inputs from Dinakar Peri)