Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, just days after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
“Had a conversation with President Putin today. We discussed ways to further enhance our Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership and exchanged views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, including my observations from the recent visit to Ukraine. Reaffirmed India’s commitment to support a swift, lasting, and peaceful resolution of the conflict,” Modi posted on X.
This phone call comes shortly after his meeting with Zelenskyy amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. During his meeting with the Ukrainian president, Modi emphasized that India is not “neutral” and consistently sides with peace.
“We (India) are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken a stand. We have chosen the side of peace. We come from the land of Buddha, where there is no room for war,” Modi stated.
“I want to assure you and the entire global community that India is committed to respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, which is of utmost importance to us,” he added.
Last month, Modi visited Moscow and met with Putin, reiterating India’s position on the Ukraine conflict. He urged the Russian president to return to dialogue and diplomacy, emphasizing that “no solution can be found on the battlefield.”
The Russia-Ukraine war has now entered its second year, with no signs of resolution in sight. On Monday, Russia launched drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, resulting in two fatalities and causing fires on the outskirts of Kyiv, according to an AP report.
In Kryvyi Rih, a mining and industrial city in southern Ukraine, two people were killed in a strike on a residential building, reported Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s military administration.
In the Kyiv region, which faced power outages following Monday’s assault, five air alerts were sounded overnight. The regional administration stated that air defenses successfully intercepted all drones and missiles fired by Russia, but debris caused forest fires.
