India now ready for trade talks with US and also 'new date' with Ukraine Prez Zelenskyy
Diplomacy does not have any permanent friend or foe !!
Columnist Tavleen Singh has expressed her anguish. She wrote: "It was not just our government who greeted Putin as if he were a conquering hero, our media did as well. Our ‘independent’ news channels competed to be more servile and effusive in their praise for a man who, in my opinion, is no hero at all. Not only has he invaded Ukraine illegally, he has also broken all the rules of war. At home, he has treated his opponents with cold-blooded cruelty."
That's one part; and that part is over.
The Indo-Russia Summit is done.
Here comes the next stage.
The US delegation headed by Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) Rick Switzer will be in India soon. India and the United States are set to begin three-day discussions on the first phase of their proposed bilateral trade agreement from December 10, sources confirmed. The meeting holds significance as both nations are attempting to finalise the initial tranche of the deal.
The three-day talks will start on December 10. It will conclude on December 12, and it is not a formal round of talks. That's how it should be. Diplomacy is not like handling your relatives.
One cannot say - because I love my wife's brother; I cannot talk to my country cousin.
New Delhi may soon host Ukraine president Zelenskyy
India has remained in touch with both Kyiv and Moscow on evolving peace initiatives, including the latest Trump proposal.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his two-day visit to India on December 5, officials started working preparing the next steps in a careful diplomatic balancing act: a schedule for a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to India.
The visit could take place in January 2026. But these are early days.
Of course the bureaucracy line is - a possible Zelenskyy visit would reinforce New Delhi’s efforts to stay engaged with both sides of the Russia–Ukraine war.
This is in the spirit of what PM Narendra Modi has told Vladmir Putin in as many words -- India is not neutral; we are on the side of peace.
Importantly, Modi had also said around 2022-23 -- "This is not the era of war".
In July 2024, Prime Minister Modi travelled to Moscow and met Putin and a month later he also visited Ukraine.
The timing and scope of the proposed visit will depend on multiple factors, including how former US President Donald Trump’s peace plan unfolds.
There is yet another aspect. Domestic politics in Ukraine, where Zelenskyy’s government is currently under pressure embroiled in a sweeping corruption scandal. One key aide of Zelebskyy was singled out lately.
Take from Guardian
Notably, Ukraine President visit to India has been three times only -- 1992, 2002 and 2012.
Putin’s visit has drawn close scrutiny from Europe, with several European envoys urging India to use its influence to push Moscow towards ending the war.
India has stayed in touch with both Putin and Zelenskyy since the war began in February 2022. Modi has spoken to Zelenskyy by phone at least eight times.
Zelenskyy and Modi had met on four occasions. Their most recent conversation was on August 30, when Modi reached Tianjin, China, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.
Modi’s latest remarks to Putin echo language he used during his visit to Ukraine in August 2024, telling Zelenskyy: “We have stayed away from the war, but we are not neutral, we are in favour of peace. We come from the land of Buddha and (Mahatma) Gandhi with a message of peace.”
Putin, for his part, offered few details on their discussions, saying only that they spoke “in detail on the situation in Ukraine” and on US-initiated talks towards a “possible peaceful settlement of this crisis”.
Officials pointed to the readout issued by the Prime Minister’s Office after the Modi-Zelenskyy call on August 30 this year, which said Modi had reaffirmed India’s “steadfast and consistent position for peaceful settlement of the conflict” and its readiness to extend “all possible support”.
Modi reiterated that offer after meeting Putin on December 5, saying: “India has always advocated for peace regarding Ukraine. We welcome all efforts being made for a peaceful and lasting resolution of this issue. India has always been ready to contribute and will continue to do so.”
What did not go unnoticed was that the two leaders did not mention the word “war” or “conflict”, and referred to the Ukraine situation as a “crisis”.
This was different from what Modi told Putin in September 2022, months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that “this is not the era of war”.
And in July 2024, when they met in Moscow, Modi told Putin that “solutions can’t be found on the battlefield”.
Interestingly, there was no mention of the Ukraine war in the joint statement at all.
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