Europe's 'private' message to India ahead of Putin's visit: 'He's a friend, listens to you ...'

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As New Delhi prepares to host Vladimir Putin for a two-day state visit, his first since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, several Western countries are covertly urging India to push the Russian President to end the war in the region.

The Indian Express has reported that several envoys and officials of European countries have "privately" reached out to the government and "politely" urged New Delhi to convince Putin for a ceasefire.

According to the report, the overall message from the envoys was that since Putin is a "friend" of PM Modi, he is more likely to listen to him.

“Putin is a friend of yours, he listens to you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that solutions can’t be found on the battlefield, so please ask him to stop the war," the report said, summarising their position.

Top government officials gave a "patient hearing" to the European envoys and officials, it said.

The messages came in the days leading up to Putin's landmark visit which will see both the leaders holding comprehensive discussions on a range of issues, including the conflict in Ukraine.

Notably, the subtle message from Europe is starkly different from what the bloc conveyed to India back in 2022 at the beginning of the war. In the first few weeks of the war, Europe expected India to condemn Putin's invasion of Ukraine and severe ties with Moscow.

According to the report, many envoys visited India and mounted diplomatic pressure on New Delhi, urging it to pick a side. India, however, maintained neutrality throughout the conflict even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin that "today's era is not of war".

The report said that the latest messaging from Europe is important since New Delhi shares close ties with many of these countries.

Sources told Indian Express that a similar message may also be conveyed to Putin.

Putin's visit marks the 25th anniversary of the strategic partnership between India and Russia, established in October 2000. During the Russian President's visit to India in December 2010, the Strategic Partnership was elevated to a "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership."