Putin in India: Foreign policy implications

WHETHER UKRAINE WILL FIGURE IN THE PUBLIC JOINT COMMUNIQUE MADE BY THE TWO LEADERS, IS A QUESTION

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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India is being closely watched by world leaders on two counts.

Russia is engaged in a heavy war in Ukraine since 2022. While the latest peace talks are being carried out as Putin has just threatened Ukraine, “roll back or be ready to be wiped out.” At the same time, serious efforts are being made at the behest of America to end the war.

‘An oped in a leading Indian newspaper titled, “World wants the Ukraine war to end, but Russia does not seem serious about peace,” written by Philipp Ackermann, Thierry Mathou and Lindy Cameron, the Ambassadors of Germany and France respectively, and Cameron, the British High Commissioner in Delhi accused Russia of an unprovoked war on Ukraine, raised the violation of fundamental international principles of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. They hinted that Russian appetite for territorial expansion and global destabilisation goes beyond Ukraine.

The article ends by reaffirming their countries’ unwavering commitment to support Ukraine both with military and nonmilitary means. The MEA has issued a mild reaction suggesting that such articles, just on the eve of visit of foreign dignitary to India, are “unusual and unacceptable diplomatic practice.”