Blitz Bureau
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled US President Joe Biden on August 26, discussed with him the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and underscored India’s consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict.
“While discussing the situation in Ukraine, PM Modi briefed President Biden on his recent visit to Ukraine. He reiterated India’s consistent position in favour of dialogue and diplomacy and expressed full support for early return of peace and stability,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement following the phone call between the two leaders.
Earlier, the same day, the Prime Minister spoke with Australian Prime Minister M Anthony Albanese, and both leaders not only discussed bilateral relations but also cooperation in the multilateral fora, including Quad. A day later, PM Modi spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “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.” PM Modi posted on X.
Historic Ukraine visit
Following PM Modi’s visit to Kyiv on August 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said that India supports his country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Today, history was made. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi made his first visit to Ukraine since our country’s independence, on the eve of our Independence Day. Today, we reached an agreement on four documents between Ukraine and India, covering the medical field, agricultural cooperation, humanitarian relations, and culture,” said Zelenskyy after the end of diplomatic engagements with PM Modi.
During his talks with Zelenskyy, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s principled position and commitment to a peaceful settlement to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. He also reiterated India’s readiness to contribute in “all possible ways” to facilitate the speedy return of peace in the region.
“My visit to Ukraine was historic. I came to this great nation with the aim of deepening India-Ukraine friendship. I had productive talks with President Zelenskyy. India firmly believes that peace must always prevail. I thank the Government and people of Ukraine for their hospitality,” said Modi after the bilateral discussions in Kyiv.
Last month, during his visit to Moscow, PM had held extensive discussions with the Russian President to find a solution to end the conflict. While mentioning the long-standing friendship and good relations between the two countries, Putin acknowledged Modi’s initiative on ending the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
