Has India’s Modi found new mediator clout after talks with Putin, Iran?

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian leader Masoud Pezeshkian at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit have put the spotlight on New Delhi’s ability to mediate major conflicts.

Positioned between Russia and the West, and with working ties across rival camps in the Middle East, India is seen by some analysts as a potential bridge in conflicts where few countries can still speak to all sides, though they note access does not necessarily translate into leverage.

On Monday at the summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Modi urged Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine, saying that every day spent at war set humanity back.

“As you know, India supports all efforts towards peace and will continue to extend its support to every such endeavour,” Modi said.

In a separate development, Pezeshkian requested Modi to use India’s wide-ranging contacts to help steer other parties away from conflict, according to a statement from Iran.