Hinging on hope to negotiate an ‘acceptable’ peace deal between Russia and Ukraine amid ongoing war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday embarked on his maiden visit to Poland en route to Ukraine. “I look forward to the opportunity to … share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict,” PM Modi said on Wednesday.
PM Modi maintained that, ‘as a friend and partner’ India hoped for an early return of peace and stability in the region.
The ‘important’ visit, as termed by the US Deputy Secretary of State, Richard R Verma, on Wednesday, comes barely six weeks after PM Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow early last month. Wednesday’s visit is also seen as a key driver to push peace through dialogue.
In his late night address to the Indian diaspora in Poland, PM Modi said that India stands with peace in the region as this is not the ‘era of war’. “India wants lasting peace in the region,” PM Modi said while maintaining that India has always advocated for lasting peace in the region. “Whenever there is a war, India stands with humanity,” PM Modi said.
Grateful to the Indian diaspora in Poland for their warmth. Speaking at a community programme in Warsaw. https://t.co/tqvRMS9bKF
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 21, 2024
International relation experts believe that PM Modi’s sudden visit to Ukraine ‘may be more than what it seems.’ The visit to Kyiv may not just be an attempt to damage control the earlier Moscow visit but is also seen as a strategic counter balancing act towards the West, particularly Washington.
Many Indian strategic commentators believe that PM Modi’s August 23 meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is ill-timed as the recent incursions by Ukraine have eroded hopes of ceasefire with Russia, global observers are looking at the visit as a backchannel negotiation to break the impasse.
Brahma Chellaney, Indian strategic thinker and commentator in a recent observation on X (former twitter) maintained that, “Kyiv visit is not just ill-timed; its purpose is unclear. Ukraine’s incursion has seriously set back ceasefire efforts. Just because no Indian PM has visited Ukraine since its independence doesn’t give good reason for Modi to visit Kyiv amid mounting war tensions.”
While addressing the Indian community in Poland, PM Modi said that during his visit to Ukraine he would campaign for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. “India is an advocate of permanent peace in the region… This is the time to come together against the challenges that threaten humanity,” PM Modi said, adding that India believes in diplomacy and dialogue over war.
PM Modi is the first Indian Premier to visit Ukraine in 45 years. The visit also comes at a time when Iran has announced to join forces against Israel, a strategic US ally. The ongoing war in Ukraine has not just destabilised peace in the reason but has added to the woes of European nations as this has jacked-up the global energy prices pinching the West most.
Russia, which was the key energy supplier in the region, has stalled its direct energy supply to the European region following stiff sanctions slapped on the former after the war broke out. Russia has become India’s top oil supplier with Indian refiners lapping up discounted Russian crude.
“I am delighted with this visit. I think this is an important visit — Poland and Ukraine. This is a very consequential period for the defence of liberty, freedom and rule of law,” US Deputy Secretary, Verma said.
Last month US and its alliance partners termed PM Modi’s July 8-9 visit to Moscow as a setback to the peace process as this coincided with the NATO summit in Washington. The visit was also seen as India‘s statement on its priorities as this was the first bilateral trip taken by PM Modi after assuming the third term.
The summit talks in Russia though saw a resolution on the Ukraine conflict stating that ‘battlefield and peace talks cannot succeed amidst bombs and bullets’, but India is yet to officially condemn Russia for conflict in the region.
