By Aditya Prakash

Tallinn [Estonia], December 18 (ANI): Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, has said that India can play a meaningful role in influencing Russia over its war against Ukraine, citing Delhi's strong economic ties with Moscow and its shared commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Tsahkna described India as a 'huge country' with long-standing and active economic relations with Russia.

He said these ties enable India to exert pressure and make clear to Moscow that its actions in Ukraine violate European security and international norms.

'India can put some pressure on Russia and explain that to be an aggressive country against Ukraine is to be against Europe and mainly against United Nations Charter values that Prime Minister Modi and the Indian people share with the whole world,' Tsahkna said. 'India has lots of leverage to explain that Russia is on the wrong way.'

His remarks come as the war in Ukraine, now well into its third year, continues to strain global diplomacy. European countries, including Estonia, have remained firm supporters of Ukraine, backing sanctions against Russia and increased military and humanitarian assistance to Kyiv.

Estonia, a member of both the European Union and NATO, has been particularly vocal in calling for accountability for Russia's actions.

India, meanwhile, has maintained strategic and economic ties with Russia--especially in the energy sector and has consistently called for dialogue, diplomacy and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Prime Minister Modi has publicly stated that 'this is not an era of war' and has conveyed the message to both the Russian and Ukrainian leadership.

Tsahkna's comments reflect growing expectations in Europe that India, as a rising global power, can act as a bridge in efforts to de-escalate the conflict.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that they received signals that Russia was preparing for a war in the next year.

https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/2001350813747175766?s=20

Russia and Ukraine have escalated targeting of each other's energy sites and oil refineries in recent weeks. (ANI)