US State Department anticipates news on India's active role in Ukraine affairs
Photo: US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell (flickr.com)
The US State Department expects news soon that India is starting to engage more actively with Ukraine, according to US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.
“I think we're likely to hear news of India engaging more directly in Ukraine. I'm grateful for that. I think India wants to play a responsible role globally,” he says.
Campbell says that relations with India are important for the United States, even though India will not become an official ally.
“The hardest things to keep in mind is that India is also a great power. It has its own beliefs, its own interests. They will never be a formal ally or partner in the United States, but it doesn't mean that we cannot have the strongest of possible relationships as allied nations on the global stage,” he says.
Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but India and China continue to trade with Russia.
Earlier this month, Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as a Russian missile strike hit a hospital in Kyiv, sparking international condemnation.
Modi is expected to visit Ukraine in August, for the first time since Russia's invasion.
Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar says that there should be more encouragement for talks to end the conflict, noting that India is in contact with both sides. Jaishankar also emphasizes the importance of strengthening ties with Ukraine and Russia.
US Secretary of State Blinken emphasized the importance of a just peace for Ukraine and expressed concern over India's relations with Russia.
New Delhi resists pressure to distance itself from Moscow, citing its longstanding ties and economic needs.
Indian Prime Minister's visit to Russia and possible trip to Ukraine
Recently, the media reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to visit Ukraine in August, around the 23rd. This will be the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry confirmed that preparations are underway for Modi's visit, but details have not yet been disclosed and the exact date remains unknown.
