Biden appears to nudge India's Modi ? in person ? on his Ukraine stand

Tokyo — President Joe Biden told fellow Indo-Pacific leaders assembled for a four-country summit Tuesday that they were navigating "a dark hour in our shared history" due to Russia's brutal war on Ukraine and he urged the group to make greater efforts to stop Vladimir Putin's aggression."This is more than just a European issue. Looming over the Quad leaders' talks was Mr. Biden's blunt statement on Monday that the U.S. would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, saying the burden to protect Taiwan is "even stronger' after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister didn't address Russia's war against Ukraine in his public remarks at the summit.In comments to reporters after a one-on-one meeting with Modi, Mr. Biden said they discussed Russia's invasion of Ukraine "and the effect it has on the entire global world order." Mr. Biden added that the U.S. and India will continue to consult "on how to mitigate these negative effects." In his comments, Modi made no mention of the war in Ukraine, instead ticking off several trade and investment programs that he discussed with the president. "It will be a continuation of the conversation they've already had about how we see the picture in Ukraine and the impacts of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine on a wider set of concerns in the world." While Mr. Biden and Modi may avoid public confrontation over how to respond to Russia's aggression, the issue remains a major one as the U.S. and allies are looking to tighten the pressure on Putin, said Michael Green, senior vice president for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.