New Delhi/Washington: The Ukraine conflict will be one of the key topics to be discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington next month, the US State Department has said.
Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, answering a question on whether Ukraine would be discussed during PM Modi’s visit to Washington on June 22, said:
“I would say – without giving too much of a preview of that trip, … certainly, the war in Ukraine will be one of the topics that is under discussion.
“It’s been one of the topics that’s been under discussion in previous meetings with Prime Minister Modi, as it is in just about any conversation we have with a world leader at this time, or has been the case for the past year.”
The questioner had asked if PM Modi “could be the one who can break the ice or be mediator” in the Ukraine conflict, and if the topic would come up during his meeting with President Joe Biden and the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and PM Modi had held a bilateral on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima last week, during which PM Modi had said that India and he personally “would do everything within our means” for resolution of the conflict. Zelensky had also invited India to join the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace initiative.
On May 10, the White House announced that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, 2023.
“The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together.
“The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space”, it said.
