Ukraine FM: Modi Should Determine Whether To Take Stand On Russia

Wires reporting comments from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stating that India Prime Minister Narendra Modi should determine whether his country will take a stand on the Russian war in Ukraine.

• Kuleba: "India is an emerging power, Russia a declining power. I don't think these are the friends India wants to have."
• The rhetoric is unlikely to have any notable impact on the stance of the Indian gov't, which has studiously avoided taking sides in the conflict.
• Focus of Indian gov't remains trained on domestic issues rather than international affairs. The conflict has seen supplies of goods such as cooking oils (India being the world's largest importer) decline and prices spike, requiring a domestic policy responses.
• Moreover, India-Russia relations remain important in Delhi. The Indian armed forces remain reliant on significant Russian-produced materiel, Russian hydrocarbons are important in India's energy mix, and public opinion remains supportive of Russia over the West in many cases.