According to a CNN report released on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic efforts, in conjunction with outreach from various countries, played a significant role in deterring Russia from potentially launching a nuclear attack on Ukraine.
The report, drawing from insights provided by two senior officials, indicated that the United States had been diligently preparing for the possibility of a nuclear strike by Russia on Ukraine at a time when President Vladimir Putin's military forces were facing consecutive setbacks on the battlefield.
Citing US officials, the report suggested that the involvement of PM Modi and nations like China may have influenced Putin's decision to abandon his plan to launch a nuclear missile at Ukraine in 2022.
"US officials say that outreach and public statements from Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped avert a crisis," the CNN report highlighted.
It was disclosed in the report that as Ukrainian forces advanced towards Kherson, entire Russian units faced the peril of being encircled. Meanwhile, Moscow purportedly raised concerns about Ukraine potentially resorting to deploying a dirty bomb. Within the US government, there was a growing perception that a significant defeat at Kherson could prompt Russia to resort to nuclear weapons, with the claim about the dirty bomb potentially serving as a pretext for such an action.
To mitigate the crisis, the US endeavored to garner support from non-aligned nations, including India, to dissuade Russia from taking drastic measures.
"One of the things we did was not only message them directly but strongly urge, press, encourage other countries, to whom they might be more attentive, to do the same thing," a senior US administration official revealed to CNN.
"I think the fact that we know, India weighed in, China weighed in, others weighed in, may have had some effect on their thinking," the official added.
It is worth noting that India has consistently denounced civilian casualties and advocated for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
During the SCO summit in Uzbekistan in September 2022, PM Modi conveyed to Putin that "this is not the era of war," underscoring India's commitment to exploring avenues for peace.
