Modi speaks to Russia, Ukraine presidents within hours; invited by both

IN a key diplomatic development, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (20) spoke to the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, which are engaged in a fierce military clash at the moment, and the two leaders reportedly said that they see New Delhi as a peacemaker.

Modi's conversation with Russia's Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy within a few hours comes at the backdrop of Putin's re-election to the top post for a record fifth time. It was said that both the leaders invited Modi to visit their respective countries after the general elections 2024 get over.

Modi has visited Russia five times as the prime minister but his last visit happened in 2019, the year he was elected as the PM for the second time. He is yet to visit Ukraine.

Read: Modi congratulates Putin on winning record fifth term as Russia president

Modi, who congratulated Putin after the latter was re-elected last week, had a phone call with the latter earlier on Wednesday where he congratulated him once again. They also agreed to intensify efforts towards expanding the two time-tested allies' strategic ties.

Read: India will do whatever it can to resolve Ukraine crisis: Modi to Zelenskyy in Japan

"Spoke with President Putin and congratulated him on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation. We agreed to work together to further deepen and expand the India-Russia Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership in the years ahead," the Indian leader said in a post on X.

New Delhi has stressed diplomacy and discussion to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that started in February 2022 after the Kremlin decided for a full-scale invasion. In a press briefing, India's ministry of external affairs said, "India desires that there be discussion, there be diplomacy, there be constant engagements so that both sides can come together and find peace."

In his phone call with Zelenskyy that took place hours after he spoke with Putin, Modi emphasised on ways to strengthen partnership between India and Ukraine and called for people-centric approach and calls for dialogue and diplomacy for resolving the ongoing conflict.

"Had a good conversation with President @ZelenskyyUa on strengthening the India-Ukraine partnership. Conveyed India’s consistent support for all efforts for peace and bringing an early end to the ongoing conflict. India will continue to provide humanitarian assistance guided by our people-centric approach," he said on X.

While Modi said India would continue to do everything it can to support a peaceful solution, Zelenskyy appreciated New Delhi's continued humanitarian aid to the people of war-ravaged Ukraine. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch.

Modi and Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, in May last year, which was their first in-person meeting since the beginning of the conflict.

Zelenskyy also said that it will be important for Kyiv to see New Delhi attend the inaugural Peace Summit in Switzerland.

"I spoke with Prime Minister @NarendraModi to express gratitude for India's support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, humanitarian aid, and active participation in Peace Formula meetings," he said in a post on X.

He also said Ukraine is interested in strengthening its trade and economic ties with India, particularly in agricultural exports, aviation cooperation and pharmaceutical and industrial products.

India has not condemned Russia's action in Ukraine and also chose to buy oil at cheaper rates from the country after the West imposed sanctions on Moscow. However, Modi also told Putin during a bilateral meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan in September 2022 that this is not an era of war, a statement which was widely appreciated by the western countries.