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| Image credit:- news18 |
Given this itinerary, the PM will likely make a visit to Moscow and hold summit-level talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-July. The Belarus trip comes as India has taken the position that only diplomacy and dialogue can resolve the Ukraine conflict. Earlier this month, India was among five nuclear-armed states that attended Ukraine peace talks in Switzerland but refused to sign a joint communique calling for inclusive peace efforts. The annual summit between India and Russia, which began in 2000, continues to be observed annually. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi may give a miss to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in July, citing the ongoing Parliament session. The US and Russia were competing to build nuclear submarines as wellbut not many in India want their nation's security dependent on only one vendor, primarily due to the history of sole sourcing from the Soviet Union/Russia. Facing criticism, India still buying cheap Russian oil and fertilizers, putting national interest first, also becoming the largest buyer of Russian oil and fertilizer.
