A wish of PM Kishida
Kishida wants India to be tough and punish Russia for attacking Ukraine. It is impossible to end friendship with Russia, which has been a strategic partner of India for more than five decades. Now Kishida wants India to choose between Japan and Russia. Russia is the country which is a major supplier of arms and energy to India. No one knows what India will do in front of their demand.
Announcing his visit to India on March 10, Kishida had said, “As leaders of the G-7 and G-20 countries, I want to advance efforts to strengthen mutual connectivity.” According to a senior Japanese official, Kishida wanted to understand India’s position to know the perspective of developing countries. India is the host of the G-20 summit this time. Its two important members, Russia and China, have opposed efforts aimed at condemning the ongoing war in Ukraine.
G-20 countries against Russia
Every time the leaders of G-7 countries have said that they will support Ukraine. The G-7 countries are also members of the G-20. These countries are discussing various measures under which Russian President Vladimir Putin can be forced to fix a price for crude oil exported from Russia. India and other G-20 countries are buying large quantities of crude oil from Russia.
Despite India’s efforts, when two important G-20 meetings were held in February and March, no success could be achieved in reaching any conclusion related to the attack on Ukraine by Russia. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has refused to comment on this entire development done by Japan.
New policy for the Indo-Pacific region
Apart from Russia, Kishida’s aim is to launch a new initiative in the Indo-Pacific region against enemy China. In June last year, Kishida said at the Shangri-La Dialogue that by next year, he would issue a policy related to the free and open Indo-Pacific to plan for peace. From the Japanese side, an amount of two billion dollars will be spent in the next three years. Kishida had told that with this amount the countries of the Indo-Pacific region would be equipped with patrol boats and many other equipment that would be able to compete with China. Japan wants to work together with India in this new endeavour.