Moscow: In his first comment on the Ukraine crisis since his Moscow visit began, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that war is not a solution and that the death of innocent children was painful and terrifying.
His remarks came a day after Russia carried out a lethal strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv, targeting young cancer patients, and rained missiles down on other cities across Ukraine, killing more than 30 civilians in the deadliest wave of air strikes for months.
During bilateral talks with Putin at Moscow's Grand Kremlin Palace, PM Modi said: "I am happy that we could discuss about the war in Ukraine with an open mind, and we listened to each other's thoughts on the war with great respect".
"Whether it be war, conflicts, or terror attacks, everyone who believes in humanity is pained when there is loss of lives. But when innocent children are murdered, when we see innocent children dying, it is heart-wrenching and that pain is immense. I also had a discussion about this with you," Modi said, adding that India was willing to cooperate with all stakeholders to restore peace in the region.
"I assure you and the world community that India is in favor of peace. Listening to my friend Putin talk about peace yesterday gave me hope," Modi added.
Putin thanks Modi for making efforts
Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making efforts to find a solution to end the conflict in Ukraine while, at the same time, also lauding the Indian leader for dedicating his "whole life" to strengthening India.
"We had the opportunity to discuss practically all issues in an informal setting. I am grateful to you for the attention you are paying to the most pressing issues, including trying to find some ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, and of course, first and foremost, peacefully," said Putin.
‘Huge disappointment’: Zelensky on Modi's visit
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia's president Vladimir Putin in Moscow, calling it a ‘devastating blow to peace efforts’.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian president said, "It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day".
US conveys concerns to IndiaFor the second day in a row, the US State Department expressed “concerns about India’s relationship with Russia”. Saying that it “continues” to express these concerns to India, the US confirmed that it had held “conversations” with India in the “past 24 hours” too. “We have been quite clear about our concerns about India’s relationship with Russia. We have expressed those privately directly to the Indian government, and continue to do so. And that has not changed,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference. He said the US continues to “urge India to support efforts to realize an enduring and just peace in Ukraine. |
(Photo courtesy: X@narendramodi)
