Public admonishments of Russian president Vladimir Putin by China and India over his invasion of Ukraine signal a shift in global perceptions of the war, western officials have said, amid efforts by Europe and the US to erode the Kremlin’s international support.The chiding of Putin by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and the Russian leader’s acknowledgment of concerns raised by Chinese president Xi Jinping last week were signs of discomfort with Moscow, three western officials said. The remarks, at a summit in Uzbekistan, came days after a Ukrainian attack forced Russia’s army to surrender more than 3,000 sq km of territory.
The comments were “a genuine and clear signal” of annoyance, one senior European official said, adding that India and China could now adjust their actions towards both Russia and the west.
A senior European minister told the Financial Times they interpreted the comments as “actual criticism”.