UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to India could be about trade and strategic partnership, but the trip is generating some buzz for another reason. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gesture of wishing Russian President Vladimir Putin just before Starmer’s arrival in India is in focus for the “awkward note” it began, according to Western media.

A report that appeared in Bloomberg highlighted Modi’s post on X, wherein he extended birthday wishes to “my friend President Putin” as an indication of the “difficult balance” Starmer must strike on his trade mission to India. Modi also said he looked forward to welcoming Putin in New Delhi for the annual India-Russia summit.

Starmer himself was asked about this on the plane en route to India. “Just for the record, I haven’t sent birthday congr

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