On Friday, Narendra Modi will become the first Indian prime minister to visit Ukraine. Modi says the purpose of his stop in Kyiv, coming after a trip to Poland, is to “share perspectives” on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Back in July, Modi visited Vladimir Putin in Moscow on a trip that rankled New Delhi’s friends in Washington, even if Modi did deftly rebuke Putin for killing Ukrainian children.
India’s balancing act. New Delhi has long-standing economic and military ties to Moscow and has called for diplomacy but refused to condemn the invasion. India continues to buy Russian oil at a discount.
But India is also an important ally of the United States, owing to their shared concerns about China. Modi’s visit to Kyiv is meant in part to ease concerns in Washington while also showing Russia that he has his own prerogatives. Putin will not love the fact that Modi is in Kyiv while Ukraine still occupies Russian territory and is swarming Moscow with drones.
Could India make progress towards peace? It’s a long shot. The US, and especially China, are better equipped to offer the necessary economic and security guarantees. Still, India will play an important supporting role in any settlement. Modi’s trip is at least partly about exploring what that might be.
