German Foreign Minister Johann Vaddeful has urged India to pressure its close ally Russia to negotiate peace in Ukraine, the Associated Press reported. The call came days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a regional summit in China, BTA reports.
At a press conference, Vaddeful said that despite significant efforts by Europe and the United States, Moscow has not shown any willingness to negotiate, and India could discuss this issue with the Russian leadership.
“The only demand is that the guns fall silent“, the German minister said during his two-day visit to India. He stressed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown a willingness to make peace:
“We Europeans are doing everything in our power, working with American and Ukrainian partners to ensure that this war ends soon and that Ukraine finds peace as a sovereign state.“
The German diplomat's call reflects Europe's hopes that India can exert diplomatic pressure on Moscow, even as Delhi continues to balance its cooperation with its traditional defense partner.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, India has resisted Western pressure to directly condemn Russia, but has repeatedly called for an end to the violence. At the same time, the country has increased imports of Russian crude oil at concessional rates, which now make up a significant share of its energy balance. Delhi has argued the purchases are necessary to protect the economy from global shocks.
Meanwhile, tensions with the United States have escalated after President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, bringing total tariffs to 50%. The move is expected to hit $48.2 billion worth of Indian exports and deal a blow to its broader economic ambitions.
In response, India has stepped up efforts to strike a free trade agreement with the European Union. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who held talks with Vaddeful, said his country was counting on Germany to speed up negotiations and finalize the agreement by the end of the year.