India's abacus is really sharp! Modi just had a call with Russian President Putin, and then turned around to speak with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy! In the call, Modi said that he was pleased to have a conversation with President Zelenskyy and listened to his views on recent developments. I conveyed India's consistent position that peace must be resolved as soon as possible.
Modi said that India remains committed to making every possible contribution in this regard and further strengthening bilateral relations with Ukraine. Obviously, why did Modi call Zelenskyy right after talking to Russia? It is likely that India has at least three considerations. First, Modi obviously wants to demonstrate India's neutrality and convey the message that India maintains an impartial stance towards both sides of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Second, Modi is clearly trying to please Trump. Because buying energy from Russia, Trump was very angry and imposed a 25% tariff on India. This time, Modi not ignoring Ukraine is actually sending a message to the United States. That is, in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, India still has great room for maneuver. India is showing America through actions that it is not so close to Russia.
Third, India obviously also wants to use this to get closer to Europe. The US has imposed taxes on India, and India also wants to deepen its relations with Europe to ease its difficulties. And Europe has some complaints about the Russia-India relationship. This time, the call between India and Ukraine is also a signal to Europe, that at least India will not completely ignore European feelings and stand entirely on Russia's side. Obviously, Modi's call highlights the characteristics of India's diplomatic strategy of walking between all sides. Of course, for India, such a diplomatic strategy may be in line with India's interests, and India has done what it thinks it should do.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840172480129034/
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