Russia-Ukraine War
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of war-ravaged Ukraine, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for India’s support. In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Kremlin’s declaration of four regions of Ukraine as Russian territory, the prime minister called Kyiv’s leader on Tuesday.
PM Modi reiterated his call for an early end to hostilities and the need for dialogue and diplomacy in his telephone conversation with Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy thanked the prime minister for his support of Ukraine’s ‘integrity’ and emphasized the importance of his recent statement that the period is not appropriate for war. On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave in Samarkand, PM Modi discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict with Putin.
“We live in a non-war era today, and I spoke with you about this on the phone,” the Indian PM said.
The Ukrainian president emphasized the importance of PM Modi’s message and expressed his gratitude for the dialogue between the two leaders in Uzbekistan. Currently reeling from hostilities and military offensives, Zelesnkyy urged the Indian leader to visit the eastern European country.
The Government of India released a press release stating that Ukraine was ready to continue acting as a guarantor of global food security along with Zelenskyy. They also discussed nuclear safety and cooperation within international agencies, mainly the United Nations.
Additionally, the Ukrainian president noted the help provided to the war-torn country by the Indian government and private sector. Zelenskyy repeated that Ukraine would not engage in negotiations with the Russian president during the call.
During the February 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, PM Modi met with Putin, urging the Russian side to de-escalate its military engagement in Kyiv and resume dialogue with Zelenskyy.
Nevertheless, a Kremlin leader undeterred continued his attacks on the eastern European nation to augment territorial gains. At the time, PM Modi’s primary concern was safely returning over 20,000 Indian civilians living in Ukraine. In contrast to other countries, particularly the West, India did not impose sanctions on Russia.
In an interview with the media, Indian foreign affairs minister S Jaishankar said that India imported perhaps 2% of the oil that European countries bought from Moscow despite heavy sanctions against Russia.
In response to a question about whether India’s oil purchases had funded the war, Jaishankar had said, “Let’s be even-handed.”
The foreign affairs minister’s criticisms sparked speculation about India’s complacency amid a war.
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