As Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets ready to visit Ukrainian capital Kyiv this week, a media report has said that India has ruled out direct mediation between Ukraine and Russia over war between the two countries. The report by Hindustan Times quotes unnamed Western diplomats. India has reportedly agreed to pass messages between the two countries.
Modi's Ukraine visit will be the first one by an Indian prime minister to the country after its independence in 1991.
“They have made it clear that they won’t mediate. But they have said they can pass messages,” says the Western Diplomat as quoted by Hindustan Times. The reports also mentions similar confirmation from a few other unnamed Western diplomats.
India enjoys good relations with Ukraine as well as Russia. However, India has refrained from directly criticising Russia in clear and strong words over Ukraine war.
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Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. India, which has very close ties with Russia, has either voted against or abstained from voting on the United Nations resolutions against Russia. However, India has maintained that war was not the way to solve differences and issues between Ukraine and Russia should be solved by way of diplomacy and negotiations.
Passing of messages
India has however, facilitated passage of messages between the two countries. This has been acknowledged by India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. The Indian side has been helpful when Ukraine and Russia were negotiating the grain deal. India also played a part in discussions over safety of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
“We have...been the country who have the opportunity to talk to the Russians very frankly and bluntly on this issue [Russia-Ukraine conflict]. On different aspects, others have used us to pass messages,” said Jaishankar when he was in Malaysia in the month of March this year. In 2023, he acknowledged Indian role in discussions over Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
