Moscow/New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, besides US President Donald Trump, and the Presidents of China, Brazil and South Africa, for their efforts in helping resolve the Ukraine conflict.

In a joint news conference with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, President Putin said:

“I would like to start by thanking the President of the United States, Mr Trump, for paying so much attention to the Ukraine settlement. We all have enough of our own domestic affairs to attend to.

“But many leaders of states, among them the President of the People’s Republic of China, the Prime Minister of India, the Presidents of Brazil and the Republic of South Africa are addressing this issue and give it a lot of their time.

“We are grateful to all of them for that, because this activity is aimed at achieving a noble mission – the mission of ending hostilities and loss of life.”

Prime Minister Modi has spoken with President Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over phone, and also spoken with them in person, in efforts to resolve the conflict.

He has put forward India’s stand that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way to resolve the conflict, and that resolutions cannot be found on the battlefield. PM Modi has said that both sides must cease the violence and sit across the table to discuss the issue.

This has been India’s stand since the conflict began in February 2022.

At the UN too, India has consistently abstained from voting on resolutions seeking to condemn Russia for the conflict. India has also been sending relief material to Ukraine, including tents, bedding, medicines among other things.

UNI RN