The meeting is the 16th encounter between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin in the last decade.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a two-day official visit to Russia, made a direct appeal for an end to the war in Ukraine that has been going on for over two years. During an informal meeting with President Vladimir Putin at his official residence in Moscow, Prime Minister Modi told him that no solution can be found on the battlefield.
“India has always called for respect for the UN Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. There is no battlefield solution. Dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward,” Prime Minister Modi is reported to have told Putin during the dinner.
In addition, Prime Minister Modi raised concerns over the fact that Indian citizens were being lured into joining the Russian army by unscrupulous travel agents. According to sources, Russia has committed to repatriating all those affected.
To read: Important decision on Indian service in the Russian army at dinner between Prime Minister and Putin
Nearly two dozen Indians are said to have been forced to join the war in Ukraine after agents tricked them into entering the country under the pretext of getting well-paid jobs there.
A video circulated online earlier this year showed a group of men from Punjab and Haryana dressed in army uniforms claiming they had been tricked into waging war in Ukraine and doubling their plea for help.
It was Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to Russia since the country launched its election campaign in Ukraine and since he returned to power last month for a record third term. India has since refrained from explicitly condemning Russia and abstained from UN resolutions rebuking Moscow.
Vladimir Putin congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his third term in office and noted that his re-election underscored Modi’s success in advancing India’s interests: “The results speak for themselves. India ranks third in the world in economic terms.”
The meeting will be the 16th encounter between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin in the last decade. Their last face-to-face meeting was at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan in 2022.
In 2019, Prime Minister Modi was awarded Russia’s highest state award, the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
This visit by Prime Minister Modi to Russia is his first since the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv began in 2022.
After concluding his visit to Russia, Prime Minister Modi will embark on a historic trip to Austria, the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in 40 years.
