PM Modi's concerns deterred Russia from using nuclear weapons in Ukraine war, says CIA chief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s views on the use of nuclear weapons had an impact on the Russians and could well have averted a global disaster in the context of the Ukraine war, PBS quoted CIA chief Bill Burns as saying.

“I think it’s also been very useful that Xi Jinping and prime minister Modi in India have also raised their concerns about the use of nuclear weapons as well. I think that’s also having an impact on the Russians,” Bill Burns told the American public broadcaster.

“I think the saber-rattling is meant to intimidate. We don’t see any clear evidence today of plans to use tactical nuclear weapons,” he added.

The CIA chief’s remarks come after Russian president Vladimir Putin on 3 December warned of the “increasing threat of a nuclear war” as he admitted that the conflict is “going to take a while.”

In his address to Russia’s Human Rights Council at the Kremlin, Putin vowed that Moscow will fight by “all available means” at its disposal, according to CNN reported. However, Putin added that he considered Russia’s nuclear arsenal as a ‘deterrent rather than a provocation.’

“As for the idea that Russia wouldn’t use such weapons first under any circumstances, then it means we wouldn’t be able to be the second to use them either – because the possibility to do so in case of an attack on our territory would be very limited,” CNN quoted him as saying.

India calls for dialogue, diplomacy

Notably, India has been calling for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since the start of the war.

On 16 December, in a telephonic conversation with Putin, PM Modi reiterated his call for dialogue and diplomacy as the “only way forward” in the context of the ongoing war.

“At the request of Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin gave fundamental assessments of Russia’s line on the Ukrainian direction,” a statement released by the Kremlin said.

The talks between the two leaders come after their face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand in September.

PM’s ‘today’s not an era of war’ remark to Putin continues to resonate

During the meeting in Samarkand, PM Modi said, “today’s era is not of war.”

“Today’s era is not of war, and I have spoken to you about it on the call. Today we will get the opportunity to talk about how we can progress on the path of peace. India and Russia have stayed together with each other for several decades. We spoke several times on the phone about India-Russia bilateral relations and various issues. We should find ways to address the problems of food, fuel security, and fertilizers,” PM Modi had said.

Putin said, that he was aware of India’s position on the Ukraine conflict and that Russia “wanted all of this to end as soon as possible.”

PM’s ‘not an era of war’ remark also made it to the communique of the G20 Summit which was held in November in Indonesia’s Bali.

PM warns of ‘catastrophic consequences’ of nuke site accidents in call with Zelenskyy

In October, PM spoke to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He underscored that endangering nuclear facilities could have catastrophic consequences on public health and the environment.

“Prime Minister emphasised the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine. He underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment,” according to the press release issued by the Prime Minister’s office.

During his visit to New Delhi in April, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that India could play the role of the mediator between Kyiv and Moscow.

With inputs from ANI

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