Modi bear-hugs Putin in Moscow, marking deep ties between Russia and India
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been hosted by President Biden at a state dinner and lavished with praise by White House officials, who describe ties with India as “one of the most consequential relationships” for the United States.
But this week, Modi reminded the world that he has another close relationship — with “my dear friend Vladimir Putin.”
As Modi makes his first visit to Russia since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the images emerging from Moscow of Modi wrapping the Russian president in a hug send a clear signal that the South Asian giant will maintain deep ties with Russia despite the Biden administration’s efforts to woo its prime minister. It also shows that Putin is not as isolated as the White House has hoped.
The trip to Moscow, which overlapped with three days of NATO meetings in Washington, was met with consternation in Washington and Kyiv. Asked about the Modi-Putin meeting, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters at a press briefing: “We have made quite clear directly with India our concerns about their relationship with Russia.” On X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted photos of a children’s hospital in Kyiv that was struck by a Russian missile on Monday and criticized the meeting. "It is deeply unfortunate and a devastating blow to peace efforts that the leader of the world's largest democracy should embrace the world's bloodiest criminal in Moscow on such a day," he wrote.
The meeting was between two heads of state who, while needing each other, are increasingly drawn into competing camps: the United States and China. For Modi, Russia remains a vital source of weapons, energy and space technology and is essential for India to become a great power. Analysts also note that India does not want Russia to become overly dependent on rival China.
No comments:
Post a Comment