Days after his return from Ukraine, PM Modi briefed US President Joe Biden about his landmark visit to Kyiv, reiterating India’s “consistent” position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy and expressing full support for early return of peace and stability. During the conversation initiated by Biden, the leaders also shared concern over the situation in Bangladesh and emphasised restoration of law and order, along with the need to ensure safety and security of minorities, particularly Hindus, according to an Indian readout.
The conversation took place ahead of a possible bilateral meeting between them, and a proposed Quad summit, next month in New York on the sidelines of the UNGA session. Modi and Biden also committed to boosting Quad cooperation.
The rare mention of security for Hindus in Bangladesh in a talk with a foreign leader is in line with India’s stated priority of ensuring their safety in the crisis-ridden country. In his congratulatory message to Bangladesh chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, Modi had called for protection of the Hindu community. However, Yunus later told him over phone that reports of attacks on minorities were exaggerated.
“We had a detailed exchange of views on various regional and global issues, including the situation in Ukraine. I reiterated India’s full support for early return of peace and stability. We also discussed the situation in Bangladesh and stressed on the need for early restoration of normalcy, and ensuring the safety and security of minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh,” Modi said in a post on X.
Talks on the Ukraine issue are also significant as Modi’s visit to Kyiv followed an outrage in the western world, led by the US, over the timing of the trip. The US was upset that it was timed with the Nato summit in Washington. That Modi chose Russia for his first bilateral visit in his third term, and that there was a Russian attack on a children’s hospital the day Modi landed in Moscow, only exacerbated this sentiment. There was no dramatic shift in India’s position though as Modi expressed solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but also told him he needed to talk to Russia for early return of peace. India maintains it’s important to involve Russia for enduring peace. White House has described Modi’s visit as “potentially helpful”.
The leaders, it added, reviewed the significant progress in bilateral relations and highlighted that the India-US partnership was aimed at benefiting people of both countries as well as entire humanity.
