According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday to undertake direct discussions with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky amid the current Moscow-Kiev conflict.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed Russian President Vladimir Putin to undertake direct discussions with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call lasting around 50 minutes on Monday amid the current Moscow-Kiev confrontation.
During the talk, which was Modi and Putin’s second since Russia launched its attack on February 24th, the President briefed the Prime Minister on the progress of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian teams.
Modi also praised the Russian military’s announcement earlier in the day to halt operations and open humanitarian corridors in four Ukrainian cities: Kiev, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Mariupol.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the significance of safely evacuating Indian citizens from Sumy as soon as feasible, and Putin assured him of his full support.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister also spoke with Zelensky on Monday and expressed serious concern about the continued fighting and the resulting humanitarian disaster.
“(The) Prime Minister reaffirmed his plea for an immediate end of violence, noting that India has always advocated for peaceful resolution of issues and direct communication between the two parties,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Modi “thanked Ukrainian authorities for their assistance in evacuating more than 20,000 Indian citizens from Ukraine,” but he also expressed deep concern for the safety and security of Indian students still in the war-torn country, emphasizing the importance of their prompt and safe evacuation.
Modi and Zelensky spoke for the first time on February 26th, barely two days after Russia launched its armed invasion of Ukraine.
