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German Johann Wadefav urged India to urge close allies of Russia to support the war in Ukraine just days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a regional Chinese summit.
Wadehull said at a press conference Wednesday that despite efforts by Europe and the US, Russia is not willing to take part in the negotiations.
“The only demand is that weapons are silent,” Wadehuru said during his two-day visit to India, adding that Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky has shown his intention to achieve peace.
“We Europeans work with our friends in America and Ukrainian to ensure that this war will soon end and that Ukraine finds peace as a sovereign nation,” Wadehuru said.
Wadehuru’s appeal reflects the growing European hope for India despite New Delhi’s balancing partnership with its traditional defence partner Moscow.
India resisted Western pressure to completely condemn Moscow following a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but India is calling for a halt of hostility.
When the West avoided Moscow from the export market to thwart war funding, India moved quickly, obtaining a huge amount of Russian crude, which accounts for a significant portion of its total imports.
India defended the purchase of oil when necessary to protect its economy from global shocks.
Last month, US President Donald Trump, in response, placed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, raising the total tariff to 50%, causing tensions between the two biggest democracies in the world.
Slow US tariffs reach $48.2 billion (41.2 billion euros) of India’s exports, which are estimated to undermine South Asia’s broader economic ambitions.
India is exploring options to isolate the economy and is fostering accelerated negotiations on a free trade agreement with the European Union.
Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, who spoke with Wadehulu on Wednesday, said India relied on Germany to accelerate negotiations and close the free trade deal by the end of the year.
Additional sources •AP
