In his first official visit since his re-election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been in Moscow since Monday, July 8, to meet his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two men are planning in-depth talks in Moscow on Tuesday, July 9, on trade, energy and defense issues. The two leaders want to strengthen the partnership between the two countries, in the context of the war in Ukraine that has reshuffled the cards.
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin began in-depth talks in Moscow on Tuesday, July 9, aimed at strengthening their partnership after about two and a half years. conflict in Ukraine. New Delhi has never explicitly condemned the Russian invasion.
Indian and Russian leaders jointly visited an exhibition on the history of nuclear power at a Moscow exhibition centre on Tuesday noon, and discussions between the two leaders on ” the development of Russian-Indian relations ” And ” the international agenda ” are to continue during the day, according to the Kremlin.
The relationships between New Delhi and Moscow are based on ” mutual trust and respect “, reiterated the Indian Prime Minister, who was speaking to the Indian diaspora on the second day of this official trip to the Russian capital. This visit coincides with a NATO summit organized in Washington, where the Ukraine war is at the heart of the discussions. The commitment of our relationship has been tested many times, and it has come out stronger every time. “, Narendra Modi continued, adding that he was grateful to his ” Dear friend » Vladimir Putin for this.
” War does not solve problems ” said Modi
However, if this trip officially aims to deepen friendly ties Between Moscow and New Delhi, the situation has changed significantly since the start of the war in Ukraine, since India has refused to take a clear side in the conflict: the country has abstained from voting on UN resolutions against Moscow, while calling for a resolution of the conflict and a return to peace.
This Tuesday, the Indian leader did not hesitate to remind his Russian ally that continuing to bomb Ukraine was not going to “ solve problems “, pleading for ” a path to peace through dialogue ” The Indian Prime Minister notably displayed his discontent with Vladimir Putin, in reference to the bombing of a children’s hospital in kyiv Monday, which left at least thirty people dead. When innocent children are murdered, we see them die, the heart hurts and this pain is unbearable. ” he lamented.
“ Solutions and peace talks cannot be achieved amidst bombs, guns and bullets “, added Narendra Modi. Despite some disagreements, the head of the Indian government still said that ” I am glad that on Ukraine we can both express our opinions openly and in detail. “.
Modi plays the balancing act
A clever balancing act for Narendra Modi, because India is very dependent on Russiaespecially in terms of oil: the country buys more than two million barrels of Russian oil per day, sold at a discount. India has also increased its oil consumption by more than 20 times its purchases of Russian crude oil compared to 2021. Russia is also a major arms supplier: around 60% of India’s military hardware is of Russian origin, and this requires servicing and maintenance.
India also takes a dim view Moscow’s rapprochement with its great Chinese rivalRussia has indeed reoriented part of its economy towards China, while India is careful to keep one foot in the Western bloc.
In recent years, Western powers have indeed cultivated stronger ties with India, to counter China’s growing influence across the Asia-Pacific region, while pressuring New Delhi to distance itself from Moscow. Because ties between Moscow and New Delhi are long-standing, a legacy in particular of the Cold War.
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