Indian PM Modi calls for peace prior to Ukraine visit

By Kim Joo-heon Posted : August 23, 2024, 10:52 Updated : August 23, 2024, 10:52
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Captured from the official Facebook page of Prime Minister's Office of India.
SEOUL, August 23 (AJU PRESS) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the Ukraine war should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy during his meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, ahead of his visit to Ukraine, AFP reported.

"It is India's strong belief that no problem can be resolved on a battlefield," Modi said on Thursday (local time) in Warsaw. He also expressed his country's support for "dialogue and diplomacy for the restoration of peace and stability as soon as possible."

During a press conference, Prime Minister Tusk emphasized that India could play a key role in ending the Ukraine war and reaffirmed Modi's commitment to working towards "a peaceful, just, and swift end" to the conflict.

Modi is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday.

Last month, Modi was criticized by Zelenskyy for meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and hugging him on the day after Russian forces bombed a children's hospital in Kyiv. India is the largest importer of Russian weapons and has maintained a neutral stance on the war by purchasing Russian oil at discounted prices following Western sanctions against Russia.

Meanwhile, the leaders of India and Poland also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the defense industry. Tusk expressed Poland's desire to participate in modernizing the Indian military and diversifying its sources of defense supplies.

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