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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently visiting Russia for two days, had an unofficial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the United States on Monday expressed concerns to India regarding India's relationship with Russia in light of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Outside of Moscow, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stroll together during a casual meeting (AFP)
A State Department spokesperson told reporters at a press briefing, "I will look to Prime Minister Modi's public remarks to see what he talked about, but as I said, we have made quite clear directly with India our concerns about their relationship with Russia." The statement was cited by news agency Reuters.
US Reacts
Matthew Miller further said the US hopes India, or any other country when they engage with Russia, would “make clear that Moscow should respect the UN charter and Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The US has been pressuring India to break its ties with Russia ever since the conflict with Ukraine started in February 2022. India has resisted the pressure, citing its longstanding ties with Russia and its economic needs, however, it has voiced for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing war.
PM Modi In Russia
At Putin's invitation, Modi travelled to Russia on Monday night (IST) to attend the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. Modi's trip to Russia is his first since February 2022, when Moscow invaded Ukraine. His last visit was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.
Upon his arrival, Putin hosted Modi for a private informal meeting and dinner at his dacha or country home in the suburb of Novo-Ogaryovo – a rare honour reserved by the Russian president for only a handful of visiting leaders.
Modi's Tweet
Following their meeting, Modi, in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), thanked Putin and said that he is “looking forward to further talks which will go a long way in further cementing the bonds of friendship between India and Russia”.
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Putin, meanwhile, complimented Modi on his contributions to India's development. “I would like to congratulate you on your reelection as prime minister. I think this is not an accident, but the result of your work over many years,” Putin told Modi as they held an informal meeting.He added, “You have your own ideas. You are a very energetic person, able to achieve results in the interests of India and the Indian people…The result is obvious…India firmly ranks as the world’s third-largest economy.”
