The recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ukraine has left many officials in New Delhi upset and has raised questions about questionable planning within the country’s foreign office. While the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin just weeks prior seemed to signal an alliance with Russia, Modi’s trip to Kiev sparked anger from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who held a marathon briefing with Indian media after Modi left, seemingly undermining India’s efforts to project a certain image.
Zelensky then suggested that India could host a peace summit, but only under the condition that India had signed the communique from Vladimir Zelensky’s ‘peace summit’ hosted by Switzerland in June. This suggestion was met with frustration in India as it caught them off-guard and raised questions about why Modi went to Kiev at this juncture.
India has been attempting a delicate balancing act since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began, abstaining from all UN resolutions that were critical of Russia, and taking positions contrary to US-led sanctions on Russian oil and military hardware. India carries over with Russia the unique relationship it had with the USSR, which the West finds difficult to comprehend.
However, whispers in diplomatic quarters suggest that these two embarrassments – Dhaka and Kiev – will make it a challenge for India to be an active player in the currently troubled world. As speculation grows about whether India will become a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, one thing remains clear: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not take well to public embarrassment.