Zelenskyy acknowledges PM Modi’s assistance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and his remark that the time was not ripe for war

President of the war-torn Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “India’s assistance,” reiterating PM Modi’s contention that this is not a “period of war.” The development is significant given that the prime minister spoke with the head of Kyiv on Tuesday in the midst of the war between Russia and Ukraine and Vladimir Putin’s declaration that four areas of Ukraine are now officially a part of Russia.

PM Modi repeated his appeal for an immediate end to hostilities and the necessity of pursuing the path of negotiation and diplomacy in a telephone discussion with Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy thanked the prime minister for his support of Ukraine’s “integrity” and emphasised the significance of his recent declaration that the time was unsuitable for any war. PM Modi and Putin spoke on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. The Indian PM informed Putin that “the age we live in today is not an age of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this.”

The Ukrainian president noted the conversation between the two leaders in Uzbekistan and emphasised the significance of PM Modi’s message while expressing his gratitude. Zelesnkyy pushed the Indian leader to visit the eastern European nation, which was suffering from wars and military offensives, and extended his offer to him once more.

In a news release issued by the Indian government, it was reported that Zelenskyy and PM Modi had discussions about ensuring the food security of the entire globe, and that Ukraine was prepared to continue serving in that capacity. Both also discussed the protection of nuclear material and cooperation among international organisations, including the United Nations.
The president of Ukraine also praised India’s commercial sector and government for their assistance to the nation’s war-torn nation. Zelenskyy repeated throughout the call that Ukraine will not engage in negotiations with the Russian President.

In conversations with Putin after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, PM Modi pleaded with the Russian government to scale back its military operations in Kyiv and resume talks with Zelenskyy.

However, a resolute Kremlin leader persisted in attacking the country in eastern Europe with the aim of bolstering territorial gains. PM Modi’s top priority at the moment was the safe return of the more than 20,000 Indian nationals living in Ukraine. India received criticism for not placing sanctions on Russia the way other nations, especially the West, did.

However, despite severe sanctions against Russia, the foreign affairs minister of India, S. Jaishankar, claimed that India was importing only 2% of the oil that European nations were purchasing from Moscow.

When questioned if India’s purchase of oil was financing the conflict during the 9th India-Thailand Joint Commission Meeting, Jaishankar responded, “Let’s be a little even-handed.”

When the foreign affairs minister issued critiques, rumours about India’s carelessness during a war were rampant.