The United States on Monday said that India is a strategic partner with whom it engages in a full and frank dialogue, including discussions about India’s relationship with Russia. The statement came in light of PM Modi’s two-day state visit to Russia where he held informal face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The United States also urged India and any other country engaging with Russia to emphasise the need for a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine that respects the UN charter, Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and its sovereignty.
State department spokesperson Matthew Miller also acknowledged Modi’s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, describing it as an important step.
“We did just see Modi, like (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor) Orban, meet with (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy. We thought that was an important step to take. 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,” state department spokesperson Miller said.
In a response to PM Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Miller said, “India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue. And that includes our concerns about their relationship with Russia.”
During Modi’s visit to Russia, his first since the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago, Putin welcomed him at his official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo for a “private engagement.” Putin praised Modi for the work he has done to advance India’s progress.