During a phone call with his British counterpart Boris Johnson on Tuesday, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi appeared to take a slightly stronger stance against Russia by calling for the need to respect international law.
Today @narendramodi and I spoke about the grave situation in Ukraine and agreed its sovereignty must be respected.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 22, 2022
The UK-India relationship continues to go from strength to strength, and we'll build on our trade, security & business ties in the coming weeks and months.
While the Indian statement did not make a direct reference to Russia, it said that PM Modi “reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.” He also stressed on the importance of respecting the “territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states.” Furthermore, Modi informed PM Johnson of India’s humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, reiterating their combined vision to “promote peace and de-escalation” in Eastern Europe.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on phone today with UK PM Boris Johnson. They had a detailed discussion on the situation in Ukraine. PM Modi reiterated India’s consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. pic.twitter.com/rJhXoQXBJr
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) March 22, 2022
Meanwhile, the British press release stated that Johnson highlighted the “deeply disturbing and disastrous” implications of Russian military aggression. The statement called on the Russian government to “adhere to the United Nations (UN) Charter” and “ensure global peace and prosperity.”
Breaking: UK PM Boris Johnson speaks to PM Modi over Russian invasion of Ukraine; UK Readout says, UK "Prime Minister said he believed the actions of Putin’s regime were deeply disturbing and disastrous for the world'. pic.twitter.com/7nZvkAmxFs
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 22, 2022
Apart from the Ukraine crisis, the pair also discussed enhancing cooperation in areas such as trade, technology, investments, defence and security, and people-to-people relations. In this regard, Modi celebrated the “positive momentum” made towards finalising a Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
India and the United Kingdom (UK) have been engaged in negotiations on an FTA for over two months now. However, the discussions have been facing some resistance due to India’s refusal to take a solid stand on the Ukraine conflict. British Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan has said that the UK is “very disappointed” over India’s decision to refrain from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Critics of the deal in the UK have urged the British government to pause discussions until the Modi government changes its position on the Ukraine issue. Opposition leader and Labour Party Member of Parliament Chris Bryant declared that the fact that negotiations were continuing was “preposterous.” He added that the UK government should use the FTA discussion as a “key moment” to increase pressure on India, and reiterate that it cannot “abstain” on a “war crime” or “an illegal invasion of another country.”
Meanwhile, India continues to resist pressure from the West, including from the United States (US), and has even communicated its decision to buy discounted Russian oil amid surging energy prices. This is likely to escalate the opposition to the UK-India FTA, especially with Johnson urging countries to reduce their reliance on Russian oil and gas.