Russia on Tuesday said it would welcome any peace efforts by India to end the Ukraine conflict, noting that Moscow's strategy aligns closely with New Delhi's position for a resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.
NEW DELHI — Russia on Tuesday said it would welcome any peace efforts by India to end the Ukraine conflict, noting that Moscow's strategy aligns closely with New Delhi's position for a resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.
The remarks by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov came days before Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India to attend the BRICS summit.
There have also been renewed international efforts, including by the Trump administration in recent days, to find a path toward resolving the conflict.
"We welcome the willingness of the Indian side to contribute. We also welcome the efforts of American President (Donald) Trump," Peskov said during an online media interaction with Indian journalists.
In a meeting with Putin on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for an immediate end to the conflict and urged the Russian leader to move from "endless war towards end of war".
Days later, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar travelled to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv and stated that India is ready to contribute whatever it can to bring peace to Ukraine.
"We know the position of India on the Ukrainian conflict, and to a great extent, it corresponds with our own position because we do want the solution to the Ukraine conflict by peaceful means, and Russia is open for this process," Peskov said.
The Kremlin spokesperson said President Putin is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Modi on Friday on the margins of the BRICS summit and indicated that the focus of the engagement will be on deepening cooperation in areas of trade, investment, energy and technology.
Citing the personal chemistry between PM Modi and President Putin, Peskov said they are "very pragmatic" and sincere to be able to discuss in a "very open and constructive way" the most sensitive issues.
Indian companies are interested in expanding their presence in the Russian market and investing in the Russian economy and "we appreciate that", he said.
Peskov said Russian companies are also determined to expand their presence in the Indian market.
"It will also be another opportunity for President Putin to inform his Indian friend on the current situation on the frontline in the war with Ukraine," he said on the Russian president's upcoming bilateral talks with PM Modi.
To a question, Peskov described the proposed US legislation that seeks to impose massive tariffs of up to 100 per cent on India and some other countries for importing Russian crude oil as "illegal".
The Russian presidential spokesperson also said that Russia is waiting for negotiations with India on setting up new nuclear plants.
Selling of Su-57 aircraft to India is also on the agenda, he added.
India is in the process of procuring a batch of fifth-generation fighter jets. Dassault Aviation's Rafale, Lockheed Martin's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon are among the main contenders.
Peskov also said that Russia is in the process of identifying the Indians working in the Russian Army so that they can be sent back home as requested by New Delhi.
"Work is being done to make a list of those Indian citizens who are now on the battlefield. They will be back home," he said.
New Delhi has been repeatedly asking Russia to release all Indians serving as support staff, such as cooks and helpers, with Russian military units.
Following Modi's talks with Putin in Bishkek last week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had said that about 51 Indians working with the Russian military have died so far.
"At last count, we had information about 227 Indian nationals who had been recruited into the Russian army. And out of that number, we have information that 139 of our nationals have been discharged from the army," he had said.
"Unfortunately, we have also information about 51 people who have perished so far," he said."This remains an issue on which we are in constant discussions with the Russian side."