'India is capable of…' : PM Modi on India’s role in Russia-Ukraine war

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday emphasised India's role as a peace-building nation in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine war and said that India is the "new hope" for the world in this global crisis. "From delivering vaccines & medicines to the world in the midst of the Corona crisis...to the role of a capable nation for peace in the midst of global unrest & conflicts, India is the new hope of the world today," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI during a virtual address of the 'Yuva Shivir' conducted in Gujarat.

Stressing the need to build a nation capable of establishing peace in the world amid international disturbances, he said, "Today we want to take an oath to establish a new India, we are working to do it...India, which has a new forward-looking identity while it maintains its age-old traditions."

India has so far maintained a neutral stance on the war, while calling for an end to the violence. It abstained from all Ukraine-related votes at the United Nations that condemned Russian aggression, while emphasising the importance of the UN Charter, international law and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. India has also emphasised the need for dialogue and diplomacy on several occasions.

India has been under immense indirect pressure from Western nations that have openly condemned Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. The United States is reportedly going to offer India $500 million in military aid to reduce its Russia dependence, news agency Bloomberg reported yesterday. The effort is "part of a much larger initiative by President Joe Biden's administration to court India as a long-term security partner."

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who visited India last month as a part of Western efforts to encourage India to reduce ties to Russia, said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine "threatens India's regional security" as well.