US State department spokesperson Mathew Miller, discussing PM Modi’s Russia visit, mentioned in a press conference, “we have been quite clear about our concerns about India’s relationship with Russia. We have expressed those privately, directly to the Indian Government and continue to do so, and that hasn’t changed.” He added, “we continue to urge India to support efforts to realize an enduring and just peace in Ukraine based on the principles of the UN Charter, based on upholding Ukraine’s territorial integrity and its sovereignty.”

The US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, countering India’s ‘strategic autonomous foreign policy’ mentioned, “in times of conflict, there is no such thing as strategic autonomy. We will, in crisis moments, need to know each other.” Ukrainian President, Vladimir Zelensky, posted on X, that it was a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow.” No other US ally criticized the visit. Comments from the US and Ukraine were expected. Washington’s main concern was the timing of the visit which coincided with the NATO summit.

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This was debunked by the Indian foreign secretary, Vinay Kwatra, who mentioned, “The bilateral visit this time is just a scheduling priority that we have undertaken. And that’s what it is.” But timings always send geopolitical signals and this one did. Does the powerful Nato fear itself being overshadowed by an India-Russia summit? Putin had met Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana. Erdogan even invited Putin to visit Turkey, which Putin accepted. Ironically Turkey is a member of Nato, while its membership of the EU hangs in balance. Modi’s visit was preceded by the visit to Moscow of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose country currently holds EU Presidency, is also a member of Nato and a Russian ally.

He claimed the visit was a peace meeting, while Putin stated he had come as the top representative of the European Council. Orban was in Kiev a few days prior to being in Washington. There was outrage amongst Hungary’s European allies on his visit. Discussing before the media, alongside Orban, Putin projected his view of resolution of conflict, which was holding on to regions under its control. The fact is that despite all Western attempts, Putin has never been isolated. The Modi-Putin hug conveyed proximity in ties between the two nations. India-Russia relations are robust and cover almost all spheres, hence nothing spectacular was expected to flow from this visit, apart from reiterating steadfastness of the relationship.

This being Modi’s first formal visit after re-election, it conveyed that India’s position on the Russo-Ukraine war is unchanged. India has avoided criticizing Russia for launching the war, while demanding that peace and talks are the only way forward, which was iterated during this visit. Modi mentioned in the context of the attack on the children’s hospital in Kyiv, “when innocent children are killed, when we see innocent children dying, it is heartwrenching.” On the war he added, “Solutions will not be found on the battlefield. Resolutions and peace talks don’t succeed in the midst of bombs, guns and bullets.” Columnists from Europe criticized the visit, especially the award of the Order of St Andrew, Russia’s highest state honour.

On criticism by Western media, Anand Ranganathan tweeted, “Europe that, despite sanctioning Russia, continues to buy 13 million metric tons of Russian coal, 43 billion cubic metres of Russian gas, and 17.5 million metric tons of Russian oil, lecturing India on morality and ethics.” Further, friendly nations are unwilling to accept that India views geopolitics from its own national interests and not those of the West. Foreign Minister Jaishankar has repeatedly stated that India will procure the cheapest oil that it can get, irrespective of global criticism. India had adhered to earlier Western diktats on Iran and Venezuela, and both times paid a heavy price. No more.

India is a voice for peace and talks and can mediate but that can only happen if the West pushes Zelensky towards this end. Arming, funding and instigating Ukrainians into destruction and killing will never end the conflict. Their demands of complete Russian withdrawal will never be met and at the end of the day Ukraine will be destroyed, as Gaza is, while the West watches. The recently held Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland and earlier in Copenhagen and Riyadh, remained one-sided, with Russia missing. India and China, the two nations which can influence Russia, insisted that oneway summits serve no purpose and hence had zero output. The fact that PM Modi met Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, a few days prior to his Moscow visit, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, only enhances New Delhi’s intent of neutrality in the conflict.

There was no criticism from Russia on this interaction, as flowed on his visit to Moscow. It only shows who is seeking to pressurize India. Modi’s Moscow visit was to resolve bilateral issues, not global, though these would have been discussed. Trade imbalance, continued supply of defence spares, investment in India and release of Indians recruited by the Russian army were amongst key agenda points. It was also a display of India’s ‘strategic autonomy’ as part of its concept of a multipolar world. India aligns with the US in countering China, the US’s and now NATO’s main adversary, while maintaining ties with Russia, Europe’s primary adversary. Strategically, India needs Russian backing in its tensions with China.

The fact that all is not well in RussiaChina relations became apparent when Moscow promised military support to North Korea, China’s estranged ally, in case of a conflict. Simultaneously, China is treading into Central Asia. The region remains part of Russia’s security initiative, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, while it is economically beholden to China. While Russia and China have a common foe in the USA and China supports Russia by providing dual use technology as also purchasing bulk of its oil, bilateral differences are temporarily suppressed.

India and Russia have no disputes, nor are they neighbours, hence ideally placed to be allies. The West viewed the visit from its perception, while India from its own. Both need to accept the other’s perspective and geopolitical considerations, rather than claiming that their beliefs are morally correct.

(The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army)