Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of G7 Summit in Hiroshima on Saturday. During the meeting, PM Modi assured Zelenskyy that India will do whatever is in its capacity to resolve the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine.
“The war in Ukraine is a huge issue for the entire world. It affected the world in several ways, but I don’t consider it a political or economic issue. It is, for me, an issue of humanity, and human values. You know the suffering of war better than all of us. When our children returned from Ukraine last year and narrated the circumstances there, I could understand the anguish of your citizens very well. I assure you that India, and I personally, would definitely do whatever is in our capacity to resolve this situation,” Prime Minister Modi can be heard saying in a video clip of the meeting shared by news agency ANI.
This was the first meeting between two leaders since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February last year. The Prime Minister has tweeted pictures of the meeting, in which national security advisor Ajit Doval was also present.
PM @narendramodi held talks with President @ZelenskyyUa during the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima. pic.twitter.com/tEk3hWku7a
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 20, 2023
PM Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as President Zelenskyy several times since the war broke out. It is reported that PM Modi had told Putin that now is not an era of war and adviced to end the violence.
Also, during a telephonic conversation with Zelenskyy last October, PM Modi offered India’s support to peace efforts and not on military aid. India is of the opinion that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and talks.
PM Modi will be in Hiroshima till May 21 to attend the G7 Summit. He is expected to speak on several topics regarding global challenges.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Hiroshima on Saturday. He posted a tweet following his arrival in Japan and regarding his meeting with PM Modi.
Had a meeting with Prime Minister of India @narendramodi in Japan. I briefed the interlocutor in detail on the Ukrainian Peace Formula initiative and invited India to join its implementation. I spoke about Ukraine's needs in humanitarian demining and mobile hospitals. I thank…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 20, 2023
Zelenskyy had visited Saudi Arabia on Friday to pledge further support for Ukraine. His visit to Japan comes a day after US President Biden offered defence support to Ukraine. Reports say that Biden had offered a joint allied training of Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter jets, including the F-16. He also promised to supply aircrafts and welcomed other countries to give F-16s to Ukraine.
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