Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Retailer on the authorities’s consultant amenities in Oslo, Norway, on Could 18, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: by way of Reuters
Norway hopes India will use its channels with Russia to push for a ceasefire within the warfare in Ukraine, stated Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Retailer. Chatting with Indian journalists right here in Oslo throughout Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day go to to Norway, Mr. Retailer indicated that whereas the 2 sides had variations on the difficulty, he understood India’s must supply power.
The Norwegian authorities has constructed a fund for Ukraine and despatched in army help within the battle, and has persistently pushed for extra sanctions towards Russia.
‘Respect’ for India’s power wants
Mr. Retailer stated it was helpful to change views with Mr. Modi on Tuesday (Could 19) on geopolitical points, and he had “respect” for the explanations for India’s place on the Russia-Ukraine battle. He additionally stated that Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Nationwide Safety Advisor Ajit Doval had met their Norwegian counterparts for additional discussions on the difficulty.
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“India is a large nation and has wants for its power provides. And Norway being an power exporter, we should always respect that,” Mr. Retailer stated in response to a query from The Hindu, however added that there must be “extra stress on Russia to come back to the desk and make actual effort to finish this warfare.”
For the reason that Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India has elevated its consumption of Russian oil multifold, with Russian crude that when made up lower than 1% of India’s imports reaching excessive factors of 40% of the entire.
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Mr. Retailer’s feedback got here shortly earlier than the U.S. authorities introduced it might lengthen its sanctions waivers on the import of Russian oil for a 3rd month throughout the warfare in West Asia, whereas India stated it might proceed its oil imports from Moscow.
“We imagine that when Russia can really feel that power [exports] are additionally being restricted — their gross sales — that creates stress on Russia. On the identical time, I do know that the Indian Prime Minister and Indian management have channels with the Russian management, and I hope to see that they will use them to get a ceasefire going,” Mr. Retailer continued, when requested about his feedback throughout a joint press look earlier within the day, the place he referred to points the place “Norway and India don’t at all times see eye to eye”.
Nonetheless, he denied that the variations had impacted the bilateral relationship between India and Norway in any detrimental method.
On India’s position in Arctic Council
Mr. Retailer was additionally requested about whether or not the divide over Russia would have an effect on India’s engagement with the 8-nation Arctic Council that features all Arctic states: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US. India has been a everlasting member of the grouping that discusses commerce routes, local weather change and ocean administration since 2013, and Mr. Retailer denied a query on whether or not Norway expects India to “decide a aspect” between Russia and different members.
“We want to see that India with its science, which is increasingly spectacular, will also be a part of the analysis on Arctic local weather, which is vital for India. And I hope sooner or later that Arctic cooperation can come again to some extra regular phrases,” he added.
PM Modi and PM Retailer will probably be joined on Tuesday by different leaders of Nordic States — Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Denmark for the Third Nordic-India Summit.
The assembly is going down a 12 months after it was initially scheduled, as PM Modi needed to cancel his go to after the phobia strikes in Pahalgam and the 4-day India-Pakistan battle.
When requested, Mr. Retailer stated that every one international locations should take a agency place towards terrorism, which Norway has additionally suffered attributable to.
“We now have to face collectively towards [terrorism], to combat it in its darkest shapes, but in addition to stop it. And for that we want political cooperation and right now’s go to has confirmed that Norway and India are getting nearer,” Mr. Retailer instructed Indian journalists.
Revealed – Could 19, 2026 08:00 am IST