Prime Minister Modi in Germany
India between the chairs

By Karin Hiebaum
International Correspondent

Ahead of his visit to Berlin, Indian Prime Minister Modi emphasized that relations between the two countries are special. But on the subject of the war in Ukraine, more than one role currently fits between Germany and India.
By Peter Hornung, ARD Studio New Delhi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants peace and the weapons must be silenced immediately. In recent weeks he has left no doubt about this: "For us it is important that there is an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. It is about using dialogue and diplomacy to solve the problems." Modi said this just over a week ago during British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's visit to New Delhi.

No condemnation of Russian war Calls for peace yes, but no condemnation of Russia. This is not to be expected when Modi and his cabinet members meet with Chancellor Scholz's German government - for the sixth Indo-German intergovernmental consultations. Such joint consultations are usually an expression of intense collaboration - they have existed with New Delhi since 2011 - but this time they are taking place at a particularly difficult time, not least because there is more than one role between India and Germany over the Ukraine war.


The world's largest democracy abstained from voting in the UN General Assembly when it came to condemning Russia's war of aggression. Indian political scientist Amrita Narlikar, president of the GIGA Institute in Hamburg, criticizes this: "It is risky from a diplomatic point of view because it puts India back in China's camp, after it has repeatedly declared that it does not want to associate with China and pointed out its democratic foundation and completely different values vis-à-vis China. And for that, yes, it has received recognition."
Russian President Putin and Indian Prime Minister Modi (
Talks with the Kremlin
Is India buying cheap oil from Russia?
As Western countries seek alternatives to Russian oil, India chooses a different path.

Oil: Dumping offer from Moscow Add to this: Despite extensive international sanctions against Russia, India has announced its intention to buy Russian oil cheaply: a dumping offer from Moscow, so to speak, amid international isolation. This was met with astonishment and criticism from Western partners. However, India's foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, justified the purchase during a recent visit to Washington: "If you are concerned about energy purchases from Russia, I suggest you turn your attention to Europe. I suspect, looking at the figures, that our total purchases during a month are probably less than what Europe buys in an afternoon."