New Delhi: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida began talks with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi Saturday, with the visiting leader saying he would be urging Modi to adopt a tougher line and “take action” over Russia217;s invasion of Ukraine.
Unlike fellow members of the Quad alliance — Japan, Australia, and the United States — India has abstained in three UN votes condemning Moscow’;s actions, calling only for a halt to the violence. Kishida’s office quoted him saying before meeting Modi that “Russia217;s aggression against Ukraine is an outrage that undermines the very foundation of the order of the international community, including Asia221;. “Such unilateral changes to the status quo are also absolutely unacceptable in the Indo-Pacific region.
During this overseas trip (to India and Cambodia) I will engage in exchanges of views with my counterparts about the situation in Ukraine and other matters and urge them to take action,R21; Kishida’s office tweeted. This month in a four-way call between Quad leaders, Kishida, US President Joe Biden, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison failed to convince Modi to back their position.
A joint statement said they “discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications” — without any condemnation of Moscow. A separate Indian readout pointedly “underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region”.
Ahead of Kishida’s visit, the first by a Japanese premier since 2017, a Japanese foreign ministry official said Tokyo was “aware” of Delhi’s “geographical location and historical ties to Russia221;. “But at the same time we share fundamental values and strategic interests so naturally there will be candid discussions about how we view the Ukraine situation,” the official told reporters.
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