New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the phone on Monday, news agency PTI quoted government sources as saying.
The talk comes amid India’s ongoing efforts to evacuate its nationals, mostly students, from the conflict-ridden country.
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This is the second time PM Modi will speak to Zelenskyy since the invasion began.
Last month, both leaders had spoken to each other after India abstained during a vote on a US-sponsored UN Security Council resolution that deplored “in the strongest terms” Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine.
Informing about their first conversation over the conflict, Zelenskyy had tweeted: “Spoke with Prime Minister @narendramodi. Informed of the course of Ukraine repulsing Russian aggression. More than 100,000 invaders are on our land. They insidiously fire on residential buildings. Urged India to give us political support in UN Security Council. Stop the aggressor together!”
According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, PM Modi had expressed “deep anguish” over the loss of life and property. He reiterated his call for “immediate cessation of violence” and return to dialogue, and conveyed “India’s willingness to contribute in any way towards peace efforts.”
India has abstained from resolutions at the United Nations which were brought up to criticise Russia for its military aggression on Ukraine.
Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba on Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “reach out” to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the ongoing Russian offensive.
“All countries who enjoy special relations with India can appeal to PM Modi that we call on him to continue reaching out to Pres Putin and explaining that this war is against the interest of all. People of Russia are not interested in it either,” he said, as reported by news agency ANI.
On the other hand, Russia seeks better economic ties with India as it faces crippling sanctions from the West.
Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov said that India can take advantage of the situation to bolster economic ties with Russia. “It makes sense for the Indians to take advantage of the situation when many Western partners refused to cooperate with us, and more actively penetrate the Russian market,” the Russian envoy stated, as quoted by PTI.
PM Modi has also spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the ongoing conflict. He has been holding high-level meetings to review the situation and rescue operations for Indian nationals stranded in the region.