Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged India on to play a central position in facilitating negotiations to finish Russia’s battle in opposition to Ukraine..

She condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and underscored its adversarial impression on creating nations when it comes to meals and vitality safety. 

“We can’t sit idly in the face of this provocation to the heart of the UN charter which threatens to undermine civility across the globe,” she said in a speech at an Indian policy research institute on Thursday.

India, with the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 industrialised and developing countries, could represent the needs of less-developed nations in such a process, Meloni said in a statement following talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi reiterated his cautious stand by reaffirming that peace can be achieved only through diplomacy and dialogue, saying, “India is ready to support a peace initiative in that direction.”

So far, India has avoided immediately criticising Russia’s invasion. The two have been allies for the reason that Cold War period, and New Delhi relies on Moscow for almost 60% of its defence tools additionally more and more scooping up Russian oil for the reason that invasion a 12 months in the past. India has continued to abstain from voting in UN resolutions that condemn Russia’s battle in opposition to Ukraine.

Meloni, who grew to become Italy’s prime minister final October, conveyed her authorities’s want to reboot defence ties and known as for increasing cooperation in inexperienced vitality, digital transition, cybersecurity and area with India.

The navy ties between the 2 nations have been broken in 2014 after India cancelled a $670 million (€631 million) contract for 12 helicopters after Italian defence large Finmeccanica was accused of bribing Indian contacts to safe the deal.

India had obtained three helicopters and stopped the supply of the remaining 9 AW1010 helicopters.

India’s choice to prosecute two Italian marines within the capturing deaths of two Indian fishermen in 2012 sparked a bitter row between the 2 nations. India’s Supreme Court closed prison proceedings in opposition to the Italian marines after Italy paid $1.3 million (€1.22 million) in damages, ending the long-simmering case in 2021.