NEW DELHI – The leaders of the European Union have officially asked India to help them end the “war of aggression” in Ukraine. After talking over the phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that India has a “important role to play in bringing Russia to end its war” and “helping create a path towards peace.”
The talk, which also included António Costa, the President of the European Council, shows that the EU is starting to see India as a possible peacemaker in the crisis. Von der Leyen said that Modi’s “continued engagement with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy” was a good thing. She said that the war had “global security consequences” and threatens economic stability around the world.
The EU’s diplomatic drive comes only days after Indian Prime Minister Modi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China. Reports say that Modi told Putin at the meeting that he wanted both Russia and Ukraine to strive toward a quick end to the war.
The EU’s appeal to India is also important since it comes at a time when trade tensions between New Delhi and Washington are rising again. The U.S. recently raised the levy on Indian imports by 25%, bringing the total to 50%. The Trump administration said that India’s continuous oil trade with Russia was a major cause for this. Peter Navarro, a trade adviser at the White House, and Scott Bessent, the Treasury Secretary, are among U.S. officials who have said that India is employing the “war machine” by buying cheap Russian oil. They say that this commerce indirectly supports the conflict.
PM Modi said in a message on social media about the call that he and the EU leaders “agreed that our Strategic Partnership has a key role to play in fostering stability and promoting a rules-based order.” The leaders also said again that they were committed to finishing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks. Von der Leyen stressed the need for “progress now” to reach the goal of finishing the treaty by the end of the year.
The united call makes it clear how hard it is for India to find the right balance in today’s world of politics. India is still considered as a significant actor by Western nations because it has deep links to Russia and can help find a solution without publicly criticizing Russia.