It was a peaceful-minded Narendra Modi who visited Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw this week. In a speech during the meeting, Modi announced that India is ready to provide “all conceivable support” to end the war in Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy.
– We are sure that India can play a very important role here. This explanation is of great importance, Tusk said in response to the statement.
The war in Ukraine
Several Russian warplanes were destroyed or damaged in the Ukrainian attack
Major Ukrainian drone attack on Russian air base
Shortly thereafter, Modi traveled on to Ukraine for meetings with Volodymyr Zelenskyi.
Wants to strengthen positions in the West
India has repeatedly been mentioned during the war as a possible mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Getting that stamp is in the country’s interest, explains SVT’s foreign reporter Bert Sundström. Not least when it comes to strengthening its reputation vis-à-vis countries in the West.
– They want to show, for example, the USA that India is actually not only on Putin’s side, but also cares about Ukraine. How much truth there is in that stance, I don’t really know.
In fact, India appears to be quite far from a neutral party in the conflict. The ties between Modi and Putin are strong – and recently India overtook China as the largest buyer of Russian oil in the world.