The peace of Ukraine, the focus of the consultations between the foreign ministers of India and the United States

The US State Department announced that Anthony Blinken, in a meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister, emphasized the importance of a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine.

The conversation between US and Indian foreign ministers Anthony Blinken and Subrahmanyam Jaishankar took place while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reportedly planning to visit Ukraine.

According to the Reuters news agency, various Indian media have reported in recent days that Modi will probably visit Ukraine in August, which will be his first visit to the country since the Russian invasion in February 2022, and only a few weeks after He will meet with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, in Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his displeasure and disappointment with Modi’s visit to Russia.

While Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia-friendly countries such as India and China continued to trade.

The US State Department also announced in a statement about the meeting between Blinken and Jaishankar: “Blinken emphasized the importance of achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine in accordance with the UN Charter.”

Social media posts by the foreign ministers of India and the US also mentioned their meeting, but did not specifically mention Ukraine.

India refrained from directly criticizing Russia for its attack on Ukraine and at the same time asked the two countries to resolve their conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Citing its long-standing ties with Russia and its own economic needs, New Delhi has resisted Western pressure to distance itself from Moscow since the attack on Russia.

In recent years, Washington has sought to improve relations with New Delhi as it increasingly views India as a potential counterweight to a rising China. However, while Modi is on a trip to Russia, the US State Department has announced that it has raised concerns with India about the country’s relationship with Russia.