Foreign Media on PM Modi-Zelensky Meeting: 5 Key Takeaways
New Delhi: The international media has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine and his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky as significant developments. PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ukraine since the country gained independence in 1991.
Here’s your 5-point cheat sheet for this story.
The New York Times: “Mr. Modi has adeptly balanced India’s relations with the two conflicting nations. During a visit to Moscow last month, Mr. Modi embraced President Putin, reflecting India’s ongoing trade partnership with Russia. While India sent a representative to a Ukrainian-organized peace summit in June, which Kyiv hoped would garner support for its negotiating stance, India did not sign the final communiqué endorsing three key points of the Ukrainian plan.”
BBC: “India, according to PM Modi, has never been neutral in the conflict. He emphasized that from the outset, India’s stance has been one of peace, highlighting his connection to Mahatma Gandhi, whose statue he visited in Kyiv. However, despite the rhetoric, India has not condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion and has effectively supported Moscow’s war economy. Last month, India surpassed Beijing to become the largest importer of Russian oil, even as Western sanctions have targeted the Kremlin.”
The Guardian: “This visit marks the first time an Indian leader has traveled to Ukraine since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The trip comes after a period of tense relations, with Zelensky having previously criticized Modi’s recent Moscow visit, which coincided with a day when Russian missiles destroyed a children’s hospital in Kyiv.”
Nikkei Asia: “Amid Western pressure, India has refrained from explicitly condemning its long-time ally and arms supplier, Russia, for its invasion of Ukraine. Instead, India has consistently advocated for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. Concurrently, India has engaged in significant trade with Moscow, notably purchasing discounted Russian oil.”
Le Monde: “Zelensky described Modi’s visit as a ‘historic moment,’ but no significant breakthroughs were evident from the meeting. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar later noted that the situation is ‘clearly complex,’ and emphasized India’s stance that Moscow should be included in any progress towards peace.”
