(RepublicanPress.org) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in the Grand Kremlin Palace on July 9 and 10 for the 22nd Annual Bilateral Russia-India Summit. The meeting marked the first time the Indian leader traveled overseas since his election to a third term. A United States official recently confirmed they have encouraged India to use its longstanding relationship with Russia to push Putin to end the Russo-Ukraine War.
On July 15, Defense Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller briefly discussed the situation surrounding India, Russia, and Ukraine during his daily press briefing. A reporter asked him about Modi and Putin’s decision to “boost their trade relationships” during their recent meeting and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s response. He released a statement calling the new leaders’ expanded partnership a blow to current peace efforts.
Miller noted the longstanding nature of the relationship between Russia and India. “I think that’s well known,” he stated. Turning his attention to the United States, he said officials have “encouraged” India to use their decades-long Russian ties, “the unique position they have,” to urge Putin “to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty” and the United Nations Charter.
Miller concluded that portion of the press conference by stressing that US officials would “continue to impress” the need for peaceful intervention in the Russo-Ukraine War on India, “an important partner of the United States “when it comes to their relationship with Russia.”
Whether the US-led effort to recruit India’s assistance would succeed remains unclear. So far, Modi hasn’t spoken out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, last week’s meeting marked the first time he traveled to Russia since Moscow ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022
Both leaders’ offices issued statements about the meeting. The one from Putin’s office only provided a few details about the ceremonies surrounding it, like Putin’s presentation of the Order of St Andrew the Apostle to Modi.
However, Modi released a joint statement from the two leaders that outlined some of the terms of new or expanded agreements between the two leaders, but nothing stood out that might relate to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
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