New Delhi, December 4 (ANI) — West Asia strategist Waiel Awwad said Thursday that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s persistent call to end the Russia-Ukraine war resonates with President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming state visit, US tensions with New Delhi over energy imports and trade tariffs could ease.
Speaking ahead of Putin’s two-day visit, Awwad noted Washington has threatened tariffs on Indian imports, particularly because of India’s energy purchases from Moscow amid the war, and said India has sharply reduced Russian oil purchases under US pressure. He added that an end to the conflict would give India greater room to manage its energy ties and strengthen domestic manufacturing.
“India also has to present its view of the Ukraine war, which India has already been saying. The Prime Minister said many times that this is not an era of war, and he wanted to end the Russia-Ukraine war. If that message goes well with President Putin, especially when the United States is also using its own influential diplomatic channels to pressure Putin and Zelenskyy to agree to the peace plan, that will ease the tension on India,” Awwad said.
“India has also noticed that the American tariff has been threatening India, especially in the energy sector, where India has sharply reduced purchases from Russia while they are buying from the US. If this war is put to an end, then India will be more comfortable, not only in buying Russian oil but also to make ‘Make in India’ more successful,” he added.
Describing Russia as India’s “faithful strategic partner” over the past seven decades, Awwad emphasised that New Delhi should use Putin’s visit to present its independent stance on the Ukraine conflict firmly. “Russia is considered by India not only as a strategic partner but also a faithful one. Over the last seven decades, we have seen that Russian involvement in Indian affairs has always been pro-India… India has to utilise the opportunity of the visit of the Russian President,” he said.
India has consistently maintained the Russia-Ukraine conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, with PM Modi repeatedly saying “this is not an era of war.”
Putin is due to arrive in New Delhi Thursday evening for a two-day state visit and will take part in the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit. This is his first visit since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022; his previous visit was in December 2021.
According to the Kremlin, the Russian delegation will hold comprehensive talks with Indian counterparts on political, trade and economic, scientific and technological, and cultural and humanitarian cooperation, and will discuss current international and regional issues. Russian state media say 10 intergovernmental documents and more than 15 agreements and memorandums between commercial and non-commercial entities are being prepared for signing, and joint press statements will follow the talks.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Putin’s visit will allow India and Russia to review bilateral progress, outline a vision for strengthening the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership,” and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. (ANI)
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