Voicing its concerns over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow, the US has said that India is a strategic partner with which Washington engages in a full and frank dialogue, that includes its concerns “about the relationship with Russia”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy too voiced his criticism.
US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller, asked for the US’ reaction to the visit of PM Modi to Moscow in light of the developments in Ukraine, said:
“And we would urge India, as we do any country when it engages with Russia, to make clear that any resolution to the conflict in Ukraine needs to be one that respects the UN Charter, that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity, Ukraine’s sovereignty. And India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue, and that includes on our concerns about the relationship with Russia.”
He continued: “We welcome people engaging with Russia about the war in Ukraine if they make clear to Russia that Russia needs to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. And that goes to the fact that there is a difference between Ukraine and Russia and there’s a difference between engaging with Ukraine and Russia, because one side is the aggressor and one side’s the victim. So of course there – we look at the engagement with those two countries differently.”
“I will look to Prime Minister Modi’s public remarks to see what he talked about, but as I said, we made quite clear directly with India our concerns about their relationship with Russia. And so we would hope India and any other country, when they engage with Russia, would make clear that Russia should respect the UN Charter, should respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Asked if the US had made its concerns known to India ahead of PM Modi’s visit, Miller said: “We have – we have long made clear those concerns.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also made his displeasure known regarding PM Modi’s visit to Moscow and his warm exchange with President Vladimir Putin.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian President said: “In Ukraine today, 37 people were killed, three of whom were children, and 170 were injured, including 13 children, as a result of Russia’s brutal missile strike.
“A Russian missile struck the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine, targeting young cancer patients. Many were buried under the rubble.
“It is 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 on such a day.”
