Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief visit to Russia and his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Zelensky referred to Russia’s attack on Monday – which killed at least 37 people, including three children – in a missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kiev.
The strike also damaged about 100 buildings, including schools and maternity hospitals.
His tweets included photos of a bombed hospital and children in ambulances.
Mr Zelensky’s post comes after Prime Minister Modi met and hugged President Putin in Moscow. Visuals from their meeting show the two leaders having tea on the terrace of Mr Putin’s home in Novo-Ogaryovo, outside Moscow, and Mr Modi being driven around in a golf cart.
One photo in particular – of Modi and Putin hugging – has been widely shared online.
Read | PM hugs Putin, drinks tea at home, rides golf cart during his Russia visit
And Ukraine’s president specifically criticized the photo, writing, “It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy embracing the world’s bloodiest criminal in Moscow on a day like this…”
Russia’s brutal missile attack killed 37 people in Ukraine today, including three children, and injured 170 people, including 13 children.
Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital was attacked by a Russian missile, including young cancer patients. Several people were injured… pic.twitter.com/V1k7PEz2rJ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 8, 2024
Prime Minister Modi arrived in Moscow on a two-day visit that walks a fine line between maintaining long-term ties and forging closer ties with the West amid the war in Ukraine.
This is the Prime Minister’s first visit after returning to power last month.
This is also his first visit to Russia since the war began in Ukraine.
Read | India’s direct appeal to end Ukraine war at Modi-Putin dinner
Sources told NDTV that Mr Modi emphasised during his meeting with Mr Putin that no solution to violence can be found on the battlefield. “India has always called for respect for the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. There is no solution on the battlefield. Dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward,” Mr Modi is believed to have said.
Mr Modi has spoken to Mr Zelensky on several occasions, including meeting him during the G7 summit in Italy last month. The two were photographed hugging each other. Their first face-to-face meeting since the war began was at the G7 summit hosted by Japan in May last year.
In a phone conversation with President Zelensky in October 2022, Prime Minister Modi said that “there can be no military solution” and India is ready to contribute to any peace effort
Read | PM spoke to President of Ukraine, will talk to Putin later today
Since the war began, India has maintained that it can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and the Prime Minister has said that “India stands ready to contribute to any peace effort”.
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