US State Department Awaits Confirmation on PM Modi’s Possible Visit to Russia
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said they have seen reports about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s potential visit to Russia in July. However, he refused to comment until the visit is publicly confirmed by both governments.
When asked about the US reaction to PM Modi’s expected visit to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Miller responded, “So we’ve seen those reports. I haven’t seen a visit publicly confirmed by either of the countries. So, I think I’ll wait to decline comment until I see them publicly actually confirmed by the governments in question.”
Russian Foreign Policy Adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed the development, stating, “I can confirm that we are preparing a visit by the Prime Minister of India. We cannot yet (say) the dates, because the parties announce the dates in agreement. But we are actively preparing, I will emphasize once again, and this visit will take place.”
PM Narendra Modi took the oath as Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term on June 9. The Russian President’s office congratulated Modi on the success of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the recent general parliamentary elections.
If the visit takes place, it will be PM Modi’s first trip to Russia since 2019 and the first since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putin last visited New Delhi in 2021 for the annual India-Russia Summit, which hasn’t been held in the past two years. PM Modi last met Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16, 2022, where he called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Despite growing ties with the US and other Western countries, India has not publicly criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continues to purchase Russian crude oil to control domestic prices. However, India has consistently advocated for ending hostilities in Ukraine and returning to dialogue and diplomacy for a lasting solution.
