On Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky called India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to wish him a successful G20 presidency.
“It was on this platform that I announced the peace formula and now I count on India’s participation in its implementation,” the president tweeted. He also said that he thanked India’s leader for humanitarian aid and support in the U.N.
The Indian government later said that the two leaders discussed opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation, according to Reuters, which noted that the “conversation comes at a time when India is seeking to strengthen trade relations with Moscow while Western nations introduce new measures to limit Russia’s funding of the war.”
“The Prime Minister explained the main priorities of India’s G20 Presidency, including giving a voice to the concerns of developing nations on issues like food and energy security,” the Indian government’s statement reads.
Modi also “strongly reiterated” his call for an immediate end to hostilities in Ukraine and conveyed India’s support for any peace efforts.
However, India has never explicitly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
