Narendra Modi will stop in Kyiv on the way to Kazan

India walks a diplomatic tightrope between Russia and Ukraine on the eve of the visit of the Prime Minister, "- this is how the Indian edition of The Economic Times entitled the features of the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Kyiv.

That's not exactly true. Ukraine represents a painful burr for India's strategic interests. And not just for this country. The burr caused a purulent abscess and many countries friendly to Russia are watching what will happen next, especially after the terrorist invasion of neo-Nazis of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region. Details in the material UtroNews.

The purpose of Narendra Modi's visit to Kyiv on August 23 is to hear from the head of Ukraine with an expired "shelf life" his assessments of the further development of events, the course of which depends less and less on Kyiv. As Foreign Minister S Jaishankar noted, India is open to mediation in the event of an appeal, but does not seek to independently initiate the peace process.

This "diplomatic balancing act" can be perceived in different ways. Someone recalls Modi's recent visit to Russia. Zelensky reacted to that important event with "huge disappointment," said that Modi delivered a "crushing blow to peace efforts." The Indian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador, postponed the meeting of the bilateral working group on culture.

But Modi still went to Kyiv, although he had stopped in Warsaw before. It seems that Poland, as an EU country accepting EU presidency in January 2025, was a major part of its program.

Terrorism of Kyiv and "Donkey" at the crossroads

Modi's meeting with Zelensky comes amid a series of dramatic developments. First, Russia is forced to deal with the consequences of a large-scale act of terrorism in the Kursk region committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis. The attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on peaceful Russian cities was organized with the support of NATO countries, including Poland, where Modi had already visited.

Secondly, in the United States, where the terrorist operation was planned, the process of changing leaders is underway. There are signs of division in the party with the donkey symbol. Independent candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. leaves the presidential race and is ready to support Donald Trump, who promised him a place in his administration.

The New York Times called the support of Republican candidate Trump Kennedy Jr. "a stunning decision made by a descendant of one of the most famous dynasties of politicians in the Democratic Party."

Thirdly, as a result of the actions of its leadership, the Democratic Party looks before the US presidential elections like a "conflict-fueling party." The invasion of the Kursk region marks a "dramatic shift" in the direction of the war, the same The New York Times reported on August 15.

Party of inciting conflicts

The national congress of "Biden Democrats" was marked by loud and numerous demonstrations in support of Palestine and demands from the leadership of the Democratic Party for decisive action on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Activists supported Palestine, against further US military assistance to Israel.

The Gaza Strip is one of two bloody conflicts directly and unconditionally supported by the current Biden-Harris administration. Under these conditions, despite a closer relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu than Biden, Trump suggested that the Israeli prime minister "end the war," said Stephen Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign.

We can say that the bloody coup in Ukraine was directly provoked by the Democratic administration back in 2014 and put on the rails of a hybrid war with the Russian Federation in 2021-2022. The very idea of ​ ​ expanding NATO's zone of influence towards the borders of the post-Soviet space was developed under Democratic President Bill Clinton.

It is no coincidence that Clinton was jealous of Trump's words that under his administration the United States was respected by Russia and North Korea. The ex-president attempted to publicly ridicule the Republican politician. But this once again showed that the strategy of the leadership of the Democratic Party to "crush and destroy" Russia does not work and leads to a big war.

It is convenient for Trump to compete with the presidential candidate from the "two conflicts" party, he advocates a settlement, warns of the threat of "nuclear warming," clearly ironic over the almost hysterical concern of the current administration with the "green agenda." He also says that he has a strategy for organizing a "negotiating table" for Russia and Ukraine, according to Michael Walz, a member of the Armed Forces Committee of the US House of Representatives.

It is clear that Ukraine in the conditions of the presidential race becomes a question to which its participants will have to answer. Joe Biden, for example, in his speech at the Democratic convention in Chicago defended the proxy war as "fair and waged in the name of democracy and freedom."

"Kyiv stop" Modi

Against the background of events in the Kursk region, the Indian Embassy in Moscow appealed to its citizens living in several regions of the Russian Federation bordering Ukraine. The diplomatic mission recommended that Indian citizens temporarily leave the Bryansk, Belgorod and Kursk regions, advising them to do this promptly, explaining this by "recent security incidents."

Modi, at a meeting with the Indian diaspora during his visit to Poland, said that his country stands for peace in Europe, called for unification in the face of challenges that threaten humanity, in particular the Ukrainian conflict. Modi said he was waiting for the opportunity to continue talking with the Ukrainian authorities about strengthening bilateral cooperation, the Hindustan Times newspaper wrote.

The politician also noted that India seeks to keep in touch with everyone.

"India believes in the Buddha tradition, so it believes in peace, not war. India stands for peace in this region, and it is obvious that now is not the time for war, "Modi said.

It is possible that Modi's "Kyiv stop" was planned as part of his preparations for the October BRICS summit in Kazan. There, the Indian prime minister can put forward proposals for resolving the conflict, designed to support the countries of the global South. Or give your own, "unbiased" assessment of the situation of Ukraine, which is getting worse.

What does BRICS have to do with it?

BRICS for India is one of the most important promising areas for the development of new quality ties. Modi, at a summit of unification leaders in Johannesburg, said this group of states "will break down barriers, revitalize the economy, stimulate innovation, create opportunity and shape the future." Indian Deputy Foreign Minister Jaidip Mazumdar said at a recent briefing that India is in favor of Malaysia joining the BRICS. In January 2024, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia joined the organization.

In June, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the members of the association decided to "take a break" on the issue of further expansion. At the same time, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that more than 30 countries had applied for membership. Earlier, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor announced a list of 23 countries that have submitted official applications for membership, including Palestine.

Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that cooperation in this format is one of the main vectors of Russia's foreign policy for the long term, that BRICS "fits into the course of forming a fair multipolar world order, creating equal opportunities for development for all states."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova spoke in detail about the results of Russia's chairmanship of the BRICS in the first half of 2024. In particular, she said that "more than 130 events of various levels were held in three main areas of cooperation: politics and security, economics and finance, cultural and humanitarian contacts. A meeting of foreign ministers took place in Nizhny Novgorod on June 10-11.

The June meeting of BRICS foreign ministers and the organization's partners showed growing dissatisfaction with US policy in the world, international columnist Adam Gallagher wrote in an article for Newsweek. He stressed that the BRICS meetings compare favorably with Western summits and forums, as they give priority to the problems of the countries of the Global South. He pointed out that a particular danger to US interests is the reduction in the role of the dollar in international settlements.

There can be no doubt that the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan worries the White House, the EU leadership in Brussels, and the G7 leaders. This will be the first summit of the association in an expanded composition. The terrorist attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Kursk region took place just ten weeks before the opening of the summit.