Mediating role not for India: Why Modi's visit to Kyiv is important
Photo: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India (Getty Images)
During his visit to Kyiv, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will need to repair his reputation, which suffered during his trip to Moscow on July 8, according to Ivan Us, Chief consultant at the Center for Foreign Policy Studies of the National Institute for Strategic Studies.
"We remember that during Modi's meeting with Putin in Moscow, another missile attack occurred in Ukraine, targeting the Okhmatdyt hospital and a maternity hospital, which created additional negative background. At that moment, the question arose: if it's normal for you to be in Moscow during such an attack, then you are likely an ally of Russia?" noted the expert.
According to him, Modi does not want to be labeled as such, so the idea of visiting Kyiv was already being discussed.
At the same time, India does not show a particular desire to act as a mediator.
"Since the beginning of the large-scale war, many countries - China, Indonesia, African nations, Brazil, Europe, Turkey - all had their proposals for peace plans. But India kept silent. This was due to India understanding that any peace proposal would not be realized, and thus India simply did not want to waste time," Us emphasized.
He pointed out that India would prefer to leave active mediation to others.
"India considers itself the world's largest democracy due to its population and is undoubtedly a significant power globally, but it does not see itself as a party that travels between capitals and solves problems in the style of Henry Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy. Usually, lower-ranking leaders are involved in such roles," the expert added.
He noted that even if certain messages are conveyed, there is little chance they will be heeded.
"Russia has been sending signals like 'surrender' for quite some time. It's clear why, as the economy there is far from being in the best condition. Understanding these issues, Putin undoubtedly, through various leaders, conveys requests for peace negotiations to Zelenskyy, which in Russia's view is Ukraine's capitulation. We are unlikely to agree to them, as we also analyze the situation and see that Russia faces significant problems. I think India understands this as well," Us concluded.
Modi is planning a visit to Ukraine
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ukraine on Friday, August 23. He is scheduled to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Rumors about the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged in July. They began to circulate a few weeks after the head of the Indian government visited Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the day of the Russian military strike on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital.
According to Bloomberg, India has agreed to transmit messages between Zelenskyy and Putin. At the same time, Modi ruled out his country's mediation in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
