New Delhi:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief visit to Russia and his interaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Mr Zelenskyy referred to Russia’s attack Monday – in which at least 37 people, including three children, were killed after a missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

The strike also damaged nearly 100 buildings, including schools and maternity hospitals.

His tweet included photographs of the bombed hospital and babies in ambulances.

Mr Zelenskky’s post came after Prime Minister Modi met President Putin in Moscow and shared an embrace. Visuals from their meeting showed the two leaders drinking tea on a terrace at Mr Putin’s home in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, and Mr Modi being driven around in a golf cart.

One photo in particular – of Mr Modi and Mr Putin hugging – has been widely shared online.

READ | PM Hugs Putin On Russia Visit, Tea Meet At Home, Golf Cart Ride

And the Ukraine President was particularly critical of that image, posting, “It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day…”

In Ukraine today, 37 people were killed, three of whom were children, and 170 were injured, including 13 children, as a result of Russia’s brutal missile strike.

A Russian missile struck the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine, targeting young cancer patients. Many were… pic.twitter.com/V1k7PEz2rJ

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 8, 2024

PM Modi flew into Moscow on a two-day visit that treads a fine line between maintaining a longstanding relationship and courting closer ties with the West amid the war in Ukraine. 

This is the Prime Minister’s first visit since he was voted back to power last month.

It is also his first to Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

READ | At Modi-Putin Dinner, India’s Direct Appeal To End Ukraine War

Sources have told NDTV that Mr Modi, during his meeting with Mr Putin, stressed no solution – to the violence – could be found on the battlefield. “India has always called for respecting the United Nations Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. There is no solution on the battlefield. Dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” Mr Modi is believed to have said.

Mr Modi has also spoken to Mr Zelenskyy on numerous occasions, including meeting him in Italy last month on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The two were photographed sharing a hug. Their first face-to-face meeting since the war started was in May last year, at the G7 summit hosted by Japan.

In a phone call with President Zelenskyy in October 2022, PM Modi said there can be “no military solution” and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts

READ | PM Speaks To Ukraine President, Call With Putin Later Today

Ever since the war began India has maintained it can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and the Prime Minister has said “India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts”.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

New Delhi:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief visit to Russia and his interaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Mr Zelenskyy referred to Russia’s attack Monday – in which at least 37 people, including three children, were killed after a missile strike on a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

The strike also damaged nearly 100 buildings, including schools and maternity hospitals.

His tweet included photographs of the bombed hospital and babies in ambulances.

Mr Zelenskky’s post came after Prime Minister Modi met President Putin in Moscow and shared an embrace. Visuals from their meeting showed the two leaders drinking tea on a terrace at Mr Putin’s home in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow, and Mr Modi being driven around in a golf cart.

One photo in particular – of Mr Modi and Mr Putin hugging – has been widely shared online.

READ | PM Hugs Putin On Russia Visit, Tea Meet At Home, Golf Cart Ride

And the Ukraine President was particularly critical of that image, posting, “It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day…”

In Ukraine today, 37 people were killed, three of whom were children, and 170 were injured, including 13 children, as a result of Russia’s brutal missile strike.

A Russian missile struck the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine, targeting young cancer patients. Many were… pic.twitter.com/V1k7PEz2rJ

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 8, 2024

PM Modi flew into Moscow on a two-day visit that treads a fine line between maintaining a longstanding relationship and courting closer ties with the West amid the war in Ukraine. 

This is the Prime Minister’s first visit since he was voted back to power last month.

It is also his first to Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

READ | At Modi-Putin Dinner, India’s Direct Appeal To End Ukraine War

Sources have told NDTV that Mr Modi, during his meeting with Mr Putin, stressed no solution – to the violence – could be found on the battlefield. “India has always called for respecting the United Nations Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. There is no solution on the battlefield. Dialogue and diplomacy is the way forward,” Mr Modi is believed to have said.

Mr Modi has also spoken to Mr Zelenskyy on numerous occasions, including meeting him in Italy last month on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The two were photographed sharing a hug. Their first face-to-face meeting since the war started was in May last year, at the G7 summit hosted by Japan.

In a phone call with President Zelenskyy in October 2022, PM Modi said there can be “no military solution” and that India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts

READ | PM Speaks To Ukraine President, Call With Putin Later Today

Ever since the war began India has maintained it can only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and the Prime Minister has said “India is ready to contribute to any peace efforts”.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin prior to their meeting at Hyderabad house in New Delhi on Monday.
| Photo Credit: V V Krishnan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day visit to Russia from July 8 to 9 to hold the 22nd India-Russia annual summit that will review the entire range of multifaceted ties between the two countries.

After concluding his trip to Russia, Mr. Modi will travel to Austria, which will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to that country in 41 years, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It will be Mr. Modi’s first trip to Russia in nearly five years. His last visit to Russia was in 2019 when he attended an economic conclave in the Far East city of Vladivostok.

The annual summit between the Prime Minister of India and the President of Russia is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two countries.

So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternately in India and Russia.

The last summit was held on December 6, 2021 in New Delhi. President Vladimir Putin had visited India to attend the summit.

The summit saw both sides sealing 28 MoUs and agreements besides coming out with a joint statement titled “India-Russia Partnership for Peace, Progress and Prosperity”.

Mr. Modi and Mr. Putin last held bilateral talks on the margins of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at Samarkand in Uzbekistan on September 16, 2022.

In the meeting, Mr. Modi had famously pressed Mr. Putin to end the conflict in Ukraine saying “today’s era is not of war”.

“I know today’s era is not of war. We discussed this issue on phone several times that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue touch the entire world,” Mr. Modi had said.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Mr. Modi has held several telephonic conversations with Mr. Putin and Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In reflection of its strong friendship with Russia, India has not yet condemned Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

India’s import of Russian crude oil has also gone up significantly notwithstanding the G7 price cap and increasing disquiet over the procurement in many Western countries.

In December 2022, the G7 grouping and its allies announced a cap on the price of Russian oil as part of a series of punitive measures against Moscow in view of its invasion of Ukraine. The price cap restricts countries to pay more than $60 a barrel.

From Russia, Mr. Modi will travel to Austria. He will be in Austria on July 9 and 10.

“This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Austria in 41 years. He will call on President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and hold talks with Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer,” the MEA said.

“The Prime Minister and Chancellor will also address business leaders from India and Austria,” it said in a statement.

Mr. Modi will also interact with members of the Indian community in Moscow as well as in Vienna, the MEA said.