The United States has called on India to support efforts aimed at achieving “an enduring and just peace for Ukraine,” underscoring their collaborative partnership in various critical domains. This appeal follows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Russia. On Thursday, Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, emphasized the significance of the US-India relationship. Patel stated, “Broadly, India continues to be a country in which we partner with in a number of key areas, and that was clearly on display last summer when we hosted Prime Minister Modi for a State visit.” He further elaborated on the situation regarding Ukraine, saying, “In the context of Ukraine and Russia’s ongoing aggression and infringement on Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty, we continue to ask all partners, including India, to support efforts to realize an enduring and just peace for Ukraine, and we urge Russia to withdraw troops from Ukraine’s sovereign territory.”
Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Russia on July 8-9 included a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During their discussions, Modi addressed the critical issue of civilian casualties, especially the deaths of children. He expressed, “Everyone who believes in humanity is hurt when there is a loss of lives. But when innocent children are murdered, when we see innocent children dying, it is heart-wrenching. That pain is immense.” Modi strongly condemned the recent missile attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv, which resulted in the deaths of 37 children. He stated, “Be it war, conflicts, terror attacks – everyone who believes in humanity is pained when there is loss of lives. But when innocent children are murdered, when we see innocent children dying, it is heart-wrenching.”
Modi also stressed that no resolution can be achieved through military means, indicating that peace talks cannot be successful amid ongoing violence. This visit was Modi’s first to Russia since the onset of the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022. Throughout the war, India has maintained its stance advocating for “peace and diplomacy” as the way forward to address the issues between Ukraine and Russia.
