Modi-Putin-Zelenskyy: Less than 24 hours after dialling US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin to apprise him of his recent visit to Ukraine – an effort to portray the strategic autonomy that India is following in its foreign policy.
Last week, Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Ukraine since diplomatic relations were established between the two countries in 1992. The visit came as Kyiv remains engaged in a war with Moscow that is soon set to exceed 1,000 days. The visit was apparently aimed at bringing both the warring parties together.
During the visit, Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and described India’s stance as aimed at “ensuring a comprehensive, just and lasting peace”. Modi’s visit on 23 August coincided with the day Ukraine celebrates its National Flag – and this was seen as a major signal to Russia.
“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,” Modi said in a post on X Tuesday.
During the call, the Ministry of External Affairs said, Prime Minister Modi also “underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy as well as sincere and practical engagement between all stakeholders to achieve an abiding and peaceful resolution of the conflict”.
A statement from the Kremlin said Prime Minister Modi expressed his interest in “contributing to a possible political and diplomatic settlement of the situation around Ukraine”.
“For his part, Vladimir Putin gave a fundamental assessment of the destructive line of the Kyiv authorities and their Western patrons, outlining key Russian approaches to ways to resolve the conflict,” it added.
In October, Russia will be hosting the BRICS Summit in Kazan. Prime Minister Modi has confirmed his participation, the Kremlin said.
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Modi last met President Putin in July after becoming the Prime Minister for the third time. The Prime Minister visited Moscow to hold the annual India-Russia Summit. During the visit, he told Putin that, when it comes to resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, a “solution cannot be found on the battlefield”.
In 2022, when Modi met Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, he had told the Russian President that “this is not an era of war”.
Modi’s phone call with Putin came within 24 hours after he had a chat with US President Joe Biden, where again he discussed his visit to Ukraine and the role India can play in this conflict.
“The President commended the Prime Minister for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine, including its energy sector,” said the White House.