India Walks A Tightrope With Ties To Russia And The West

The country has stayed largely silent on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as it tries to remain neutral, reports Shweta Sharma

- Shweta Sharma

For a country wishing to emerge as a leader on the global stage, India has remained notably quiet as world powers have condemned Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, vowed strong action, and imposed wide-ranging sanctions by way of response. Following Thursday’s assault by land, sea and air, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi spoke to Vladimir Putin and urged “an immediate cessation of violence”, but stopped short of criticising Russia or its leader.

A statement by the Kremlin after the call said that “the prime minister of India was appreciative of the explanation” in respect of Russia’s concerns over what it considered to be violations of the Minsk agreement, and that Mr Modi had discussed the safety of 18,000 Indian students in Kyiv. “[Mr Modi] reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the Nato group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue,” a statement by India’s foreign ministry said.

At a UN Security Council meeting on Friday, a resolution demanding that Moscow immediately stop its aggression towards Ukraine and withdraw all troops was approved by 11 members, and was blocked by Russia, while three countries abstained: China, the United Arab Emirates and India.