PM Modi will participate in a virtual meeting of the Quad Leaders

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a virtual meeting of the Quad Leaders. So as the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its ninth day, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend the summit.

The External Affairs Ministry announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a virtual meeting with his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the United States.

The leaders will share their perspectives and analyses on key events in the Indo-Pacific, according to the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

“The Leaders will have an opportunity to continue their dialogue after the September 2021 Summit in Washington DC. They will exchange views and assessments about important developments in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad Leaders will also review ongoing efforts to implement the Leaders’ initiatives announced as part of the Quad’s contemporary and positive agenda,” the Ministry’s release further stated.

The Quad Leaders will also assess progress on the initiatives stated by the leaders as part of the Quad’s current and constructive agenda.

USA President, Mr. Joe Biden hosted the last in-person Quad summit on September 24 of last year at the White House.

Amid China’s expanding military presence in the strategic region, India, Japan, the United States, and Australia formed the Quad in November 2017 to develop a new strategy to protect the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any interference.

Russia-Ukraine War

On February 24, Russia declared war on Ukraine. “Special military operations” have been initiated to “demilitarise and denazify” Ukraine, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The UN General Assembly voted on Wednesday in favour of Russia’s exit from Ukraine.

On Thursday, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began its eighth day after a week of fierce warfare. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said that more than 2,000 civilians have died since the Russian invasion began, amid intense shelling, bombing, and street fighting in several sections of the country. Ukrainian officials acknowledged that Russian troops had taken over and assumed control of Kherson, a city in the country’s south. Russian forces are stepping up their offensive against other Ukrainian cities.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a large convoy of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles arrived in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, with the obvious goal of overthrowing the government and imposing a new dictatorship.

In the midst of the tensions, the Indian Embassy in Ukraine has ordered all Indians in Ukraine to evacuate Kharkiv “under any circumstances” as Russia continues to bomb Ukraine’s second-largest city.

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