NEW DELHI: After confirming that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India this year, Moscow has now extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit its Victory Day Parade. The Indian PM has been invited to attend the May 9 celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Germany in World War II, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said.
The invitation has already been sent, and the visit is being worked out, Russian news agency Tass quoted Rudenko as saying. “It’s being worked out, it should be this year. He has an invitation,” Rudenko said on Tuesday.
Russia has invited leaders of several friendly nations to attend this year’s Victory Day parade, news agency PTI reported.
In January 1945, the Soviet Army launched an offensive against Germany and the commanders-in-chief signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Germany on May 9, which ended the war.
Last year in July, PM Modi had made his first trip to Russia in nearly five years. Before that, he had visited the far eastern city of Vladivostok in 2019 to attend an economic conclave.
During the last visit, Modi invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India. Putin has already accepted Modi’s invitation to visit India.
However, the dates of Purin’s visit have not been revealed yet.
Praising the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “consistently” taking a “balanced position on the Ukrainian crisis” and for advocating its “resolution through dialogue”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had last month said that President Vladimir Putin will visit India this year and preparations for it are underway.
This will be Putin’s first visit to India after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The announcement of the visit comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has taken the lead in mediating a ceasefire between the Kremlin and Kyiv. Trump is also expected to visit India for the summit of Quad leaders later this year.
India’s nuanced position on the Russia-Ukraine war was has been praised by many. Recently, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor admitted that he was left with “an egg on his face” for opposing India’s neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war when it began in 2022. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi during a session titled ‘Waging Peace: Looking Back to Look Ahead,’ the Thiruvananthapuram MP acknowledged that India’s approach has positioned it uniquely to play a role in fostering lasting peace.
“I am still wiping the egg off my face because I am one person in the parliamentary debate who actually criticised the Indian position at the time back in February 2022,” Tharoor said. He had earlier condemned Russia’s actions, arguing that India should have denounced the aggression due to violations of the UN Charter, the inviolability of borders, and the sovereignty of Ukraine.
Agencies