India's international canvas

The nation's diplomacy enters a critical phase

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earned accolades from Western nations for his plain-spoken criticism of the Ukraine invasion during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan. Combined with India’s vote at the UN in support of permitting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address the UN General Assembly next week, this explicit backing for Ukraine compared with New Delhi’s position in February may reflect a recognition of the military situation on the ground but it also demonstrates India’s ability to adjust its diplomacy to altering geo-political realities.