The West is now clearly understanding India's role: Experts on PM Modi's advice to Putin

By Ayushi Agarwal
New Delhi [India], September 21 : Calling the comments by the United States and France about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message to Russian President Vladimir Putin significant, Indian experts stressed the fact how important India's voice has become in the world today, giving the West a clear understanding of India's role in the ever-changing geopolitical world.
"This has been a long-standing policy of India and what PM Modi reiterated. He has been telling Putin that Russia should find another way of resolving this problem. Of course, it also applies to Ukraine and Russia. India has been consistently advocating political resolution of this conflict rather than war becoming any means of achieving any resolution because it won't. That, I think has been well understood as you have heard that Putin himself has said that he understands India's concerns", said Harsh V Pant, distinguished fellow, ORF.
"Now what seems to be happening is perhaps in some ways the West is also which was for a long time thinking that India is not doing enough or India is not telling Russia what Russia should be doing. Perhaps now they clearly understand that India has been publicly and privately telling Russia that war is not a solution to these problems", he added.
Another expert calls India an important voice in the world today adding that India has always advocated peaceful dialogue as the way ahead.
"These comments go to show how important India's voice has become in the world today. There is respect for the views of PM Modi. India has always advocated peaceful dialogue, diplomacy and reconciliation as the way ahead. It also shows the value of India's friendship with Russia. India is well placed to help build bridges between the West and Russia," said Pankaj Saran, Former Deputy National Security Advisor of India.
French President Emmanuel Macron and US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday (local time) welcomed PM Modi's statement to Putin on Ukraine.
On the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand on September 16, PM Modi said "today's era isn't of war" while emphasising the need to find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security and fertilizers.
Referring to the comments made by the West, Rajiv Bhatia, former ambassador and distinguished fellow, Gateway House said that it takes "two to clap", "two to create a war" and "two to create peace" and how India can play a role in that.
"The remarks made by PM Modi at his meeting with President Putin were undoubtedly very significant. These remarks had at least three constituencies to be addressed. One was of course the Russian President and he seems to have taken it very well which means that it is true that India has been conveying to Moscow for quite some time that there is a need for a peaceful settlement of this war. The second constituency undoubtedly was the people in India and I think across the country everyone has appreciated PM Modi's sagacity and courage to convey that very important message to the Russian President but the third constituency was the West. The whole host of Western governments has been essentially on Ukraine's side helping Ukraine to sustain the war. Now here my basic position would be that PM Modi's message is for both parties and it is for the whole world. The message is saying that India reads this situation accurately and India perhaps is willing to play some kind of a helpful role in the resolution because it and your comment of the conflict" he said.
"We are happy to note that President Macron of France and Jake Sullivan, National Security Adviser of the US, both have supported the essential message of PM Modi. I can say that it takes two to clap. Therefore, it takes two to create a war and it takes also two to create peace. I think really the entire world feels that time has now come you know, six months after the Ukraine war, the time has come to bring it to an end, and that is only possible through solid sustained meaningful diplomacy and I think India can play a role in that" he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron, during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, said "Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India was right when he said the time is not for war. It is not for revenge against the West, or for opposing the West against the east. It is the time for a collective time for our equal sovereign states. To cope together with challenges, we face".
Jake Sullivan in a White House statement said, "I think what Prime Minister Modi said -- a statement of principle on behalf of what he believes is right and just -- was very much welcomed by the United States and for the Indian leadership, which has longstanding relationships in Moscow, from the very top all the way through the Russian government, to continue to reinforce that message that now is the time for the war to end".
The Samarkand bilateral was the first in-person meeting between PM Modi and the Russian President since the invasion of Ukraine.