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 Russia’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 “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an outrage that undermines the very foundation of the order of the international community, including Asia”. “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,” 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 Russia”. “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.
