PM Modi, Biden discuss Russia-Ukraine war amid disquiet in US over India's neutral stance | Key points
The virtual meeting came in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil.
US President Joe Biden on Monday said the US and India will continue consultations to cope with the "destabilising" effects of the Russian war in Ukraine during a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who highlighted the need for direct talks between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart to resolve the crisis. A readout by the White House said Modi and Biden discussed the "destabilising impacts of Russia's war against Ukraine, with a particular focus on global food supply". The virtual meeting came in the midst of some disquiet in Washington over India's position on the Ukraine crisis as well as its decision to procure discounted Russian oil. Prime Minister Modi referred to Biden's slogan at the very beginning that 'democracies can deliver'.
Key points of what both the leaders discussed
- In his televised opening remarks, PM Modi called the situation in Ukraine "very worrisome" and hoped that the ongoing dialogue between Moscow and Kyiv will lead to peace. The prime minister also noted that an Indian student lost his life in Ukraine.
- Modi said the recent reports of killings of innocent civilians in Bucha city were very concerning and that India immediately condemned it and demanded a fair investigation.
- The prime minister referred to his phone conversations with the Ukrainian and Russian presidents and said he suggested to Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.
- In his remarks US President Joe Biden talked about the strong India-US defence partnership, stressing that both the countries are going to "continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war".
- Modi-Biden meeting took place ahead of the fourth India-US '2+2' dialogue in Washington which will be led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the Indian side and their US counterparts, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony J Blinken. Singh, Jaishankar, Austin and Blinken were at the White House during the Modi-Biden talks.
- "The two leaders had an extensive exchange of views on several regional and global issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic recovery, climate action, recent developments in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, and the situation in Ukraine," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. It said Modi and Biden also took stock of the significant progress made in bilateral relations in recent years.
- Both leaders agreed that further strengthening of the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership would be of tremendous benefit to the two countries, and would also contribute to global peace, prosperity and stability.
- Biden welcomed India's humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine who are suffering the horrific assault including a tragic shelling on a train station last week that killed dozens of innocent children, women and civilians attempting to flee the violence.
- Referring to the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries, Modi said he was confident that India-US friendship will be an integral part of India's development journey for the next 25 years.
- India is not violating any sanctions by importing oil from Russia, the United States said on Monday as the two leaders -- PM Modi and President Joe Biden -- held a virtual meeting on global challenges, Ukraine war, among a host of other issues. The White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a press briefing made this statement and added that PM Modi-Biden talks were 'constructive'.
Unlike its Quad partner countries, India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it abstained from the votes at the UN platforms on the Russian aggression. India has been pressing for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine and seeking a resolution of the crisis through diplomacy and dialogue. Modi has held phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, March 2 and March 7. He had also spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice. In a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 1, Modi conveyed that India stands ready to contribute in any way to the peace efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
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