India PM Modi speaks to Putin, says 'shared insights from Ukraine visit'
Modi on Tuesday spoke to Putin, days after he met Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Kyiv
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, days after he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
"Spoke with President Putin today. Discussed measures to further strengthen Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. Exchanged perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and my insights from the recent visit to Ukraine. Reiterated India's firm commitment to support an early, abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict," the prime minister posted on X.
The prime minister's telephone conversation comes days after he met Zelenskyy amid the raging war in Ukraine. During his meeting with the Ukrainian president, Modi had said that India is not "neutral" as it is always on the side of peace.
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"We [India] are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war," the prime minister said.
"I want to assure you and the entire global community that India is committed to respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity [of states] and it is of utmost importance to us," he added.
Last month, Modi had visited Moscow and met Putin, reiterating India's stand on the Ukraine-conflict. He had nudged the Russian president to return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy, asserting that "no solution can be found on the battlefield".
Russia-Ukraine conflict rages on
The Russia-Ukraine war is in its second year and shows no sign of ending anytime soon. On Monday, Russia carried out drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, killing two people and triggering fires on the outskirts of capital Kyiv, AP reported.
Two people died in a strike on a residential building in Kryvyi Rihstruck, a mining and industrial city in Ukraine's south, said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's military administration.
In the Kyiv region, which had struggled with blackouts after Monday's onslaught, five air alerts were called during the night. The regional administration said air defenses destroyed all the drones and missiles that Russia fired, but that falling debris set off forest fires.
