Putin hosts Indian PM to deepen ties, but Ukraine’s impact on ties | Wilnesh News

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, seeking to deepen ties between the two nuclear powers NATO leaders gather in Washington and Russian launch deadly missile attack In Ukraine, a children’s hospital was attacked.

“Our relationship is a special strategic partnership,” Putin told Modi, who was visiting Russia for the first time since Kremlin forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Modi avoided condemning Russia but emphasized a peaceful solution. However, as Russia has become increasingly isolated from the international community over Ukraine, Russia’s relationship with China has grown closer and their partnership has become more complex. Modi did not attend last week’s meeting Kazakh summit Security organizations established in Moscow and Beijing.

Modi arrived on Monday, officials said, shortly after Russian missiles struck across Ukraine, severely damaging Kiev’s largest children’s hospital and killing at least 42 people across the country, including some children.

After a meeting between the two leaders, India said nationals “misled” into joining the Russian army would be demobilized.

New Delhi has raised this question In March, its federal investigative agency said it had dismantled a network that lured people to Russia on the pretext of providing employment, and at least 35 Indians were sent there. The men were trained for combat missions and deployed to Ukraine against their will, with some “severely injured,” the report said.

Putin greeted Modi at his official residence near Moscow on Monday, and the two leaders shook hands and embraced.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted the warm welcome following the attack in Kiev, posting on X: “Seeing the leader of the world’s largest democracy embracing the world’s bloodiest criminal in Moscow, This is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.

Modi cited the bloodshed on Tuesday as he discussed his meeting with Putin, which included more than four hours of talks.

“Whether it is war, struggle or terrorist attacks, everyone who believes in humanity feels pain when there is a loss of life,” the Indian Prime Minister said. “When innocent children are killed, when we see innocent children die , the pain in our hearts is terrible.”

Modi said the two leaders “shared our views on Ukraine openly and in detail. We listened to each other with respect.”

“Solution is not possible on the battlefield. Between bombs, guns and bullets, solutions and peace talks cannot succeed. We can only follow the path of peace through negotiations,” Modi added.

U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller referred to Modi’s visit at a press conference in Washington, saying: “We made clear directly to India our concerns about their relationship with Russia. So we hope that India and any When other countries contact Russia, they will make it clear that Russia should respect the United Nations Charter and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Putin said in a televised speech that “all issues” had been discussed with Modi.

Modi’s trip, which was widely reported in the country, included him laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the Kremlin wall. But there was little coverage of Russia’s deadly attack in Ukraine on Monday.

At a NATO summit in Washington, Western leaders marked the military alliance’s 75th anniversary and sought to reassure Ukraine of their support.

Despite Western sanctions on Russia, Putin noted that trade between Russia and India grew 66% last year, adding that this was a focus of Modi’s trip.

Modi said that thanks to Russia’s support, “we are able to free Indian citizens from difficulties related to gasoline and diesel demand,” adding that the two countries’ energy agreement “helps indirectly provide market stability to the world.”

Russian state media reported that they would also discuss Moscow’s help in building more nuclear power plants in India. The two countries are already cooperating on the Kudankulam nuclear power project in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Russia has Close relations with India during the Cold WarNew Delhi’s importance as Moscow’s main trading partner has grown since the war in Ukraine.

China and India have emerged as major buyers of Russian oil after the United States and its allies imposed sanctions that banned most Western markets from exporting oil to Russia. Analysts say that more than 40% of India’s oil imports currently come from Russia.

Modi last visited Russia in 2019, when he attended a forum in the Far Eastern port of Vladivostok and met Putin. They also met at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan in September 2022.

A confrontation in June 2020 Already tense relations between Beijing and New Delhi took a dramatic turn along the disputed Sino-Indian border, with troops from both sides fighting with rocks, sticks and fists. At least 20 Indian soldiers and 4 Chinese soldiers died. Tensions persist and have seeped into India’s perception of Russia.

But Modi is expected to maintain close ties with Russia, which is also a major defense supplier to India.

With Moscow’s defense industry largely serving the Russian military in Ukraine, India has been diversifying its defense procurement, buying more from the United States, Israel, France and Italy.

Trade development is also important, particularly the intention to develop a maritime corridor between India’s main port of Chennai and Vladivostok, the gateway to Russia’s Far East.

Indian Foreign Minister Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Friday that India-Russia trade has grown significantly and will approach $65 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year due to strong energy cooperation. In the fiscal year 2023-24, Russia’s imports reached US$60 billion and India’s exports reached US$4 billion. India’s financial year runs from April to March.