Germany's foreign minister, "insane," actually sought India's help to get Russia involved in the Ukraine peace talks.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on India to urge its close ally Russia to return to peace talks on the war in Ukraine, days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a regional summit in China.

Baerbock said in a press conference on Wednesday that despite the huge efforts of Europe and the United States, Russia is not willing to enter into negotiations, which is a challenge that New Delhi may be able to resolve. "The only requirement is to silence the weapons," the German minister pointed out during her two-day visit to India, and added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shown an intention for peace.

Baerbock said, "We Europeans are doing our best, working with our American and Ukrainian friends to ensure that this war ends as soon as possible and that Ukraine finds peace as a sovereign state." Baerbock's call reflects the growing hope in Europe that India will strengthen its diplomatic efforts to promote peace, despite New Delhi's balancing act with its traditional defense partner Moscow.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022, India has resisted Western pressure to condemn Moscow fully, although India has called for an end to hostilities.

When the West excluded Moscow from its export markets to disrupt its war financing, India quickly acted by purchasing large quantities of discounted Russian crude oil, which now make up a significant share of its total imports. India defends the purchase of this oil as a way to protect its economy from global shocks.

US President Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods last month, resulting in a total tariff of 50%, which has strained relations between the world's two largest countries. This high US tariff is expected to impact $48.2 billion worth of Indian exports and harm the broader economic ambitions of this South Asian country. To protect its economy, India is accelerating negotiations on a free trade agreement with the European Union.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar held detailed talks with Baerbock on Wednesday and said that India expects Germany to speed up the negotiations and reach a free trade agreement by the end of the year.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842332118513664/

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