Modi told Zelenskyy that peace can be achieved through "dialogue and mediation"

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he had a "productive meeting" with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy. The Prime Minister's delegation that attended the bilateral meeting included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister Vinay Kwatra and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Modi said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that India is "willing" to "strengthen" bilateral ties with Ukraine. He also showed New Delhi's different attitude towards the war. "Regarding ongoing conflicts, [I] reaffirm India's belief in a people-centered approach, and that the path to peace is through dialogue and mediation," he wrote. he.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine. "The Prime Minister said that India remains committed to encouraging a peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy," he wrote in X.

Speaking at a session of the G7 summit on technology and other issues, Modi said countries in the Global South "are bearing the brunt of global uncertainty and anxiety." " and India considers itself responsible "to carry the interests of the countries of the World. Bring its priorities and concerns to the world stage.

Since the escalation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine in early 2022, New Delhi has maintained a balanced approach to the conflict with the parties involved in it, and has continued to strengthen ties to Western countries while maintaining a strategic relationship with Moscow and increasing downstream energy sales. close inspection from the Russian side. Washington and Brussels.

 India said on Wednesday that it will participate at an "appropriate level" in the upcoming talks on Ukraine in Switzerland. . Kyiv has gone to great lengths to ensure that Modi attends the "peace conference", which is being held without Russia's involvement.

In March, Ukrainian Minister Dmitry Kuleba went to Delhi to discuss India's involvement and seek support for Kiev's "peaceful solution" to the conflict - which Moscow rejected. In an interview with the Indian media, Kuleba said that New Delhi's relations with Russia are based on the Soviet heritage, "lost, there is no future." "In the future," he said, adding that India could "influence Russia's image" because of its proximity to Moscow.

Kuleba contradicted New Delhi's claims about its "proven" relationship with Moscow. Russia and India guard each other's interests "very carefully", according to their foreign ministers. Bilateral trade between the two countries rose to $65 billion last year, largely due to Russian imports from India.