Zelensky thanks Modi for India's support in the war

Kyiv, Oct 06: Kyiv will not conduct any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the country's president Volodymyr Zelensky told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday as the two leaders discussed the Ukraine war, which is now in its eighth month. Speaking to PM Modi, Zelensky - hitting out at Putin - also underlined that "all the aggressor's decisions aimed at attempting illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories are null and void and do not change reality," his office said in a statement post the call.

 

 

 

Putin had declared the annexations of four Ukrainian regions last week after holding, what he said, "referendums".

 

 

 

In his latest thinly veiled nuclear threat to Ukraine last week, Putin pledged to use “all the powers and means at our disposal” to defend Russia; sparking tensions and concerns in the global community about a possible escalation of the war. PM Modi had last month urged Russia to end the war and return to the path of dialogue in a first since the Kremlin began invading its neighbor. “I know today’s era is not [an era] of war...," Modi had said at a bilateral meeting with Putin, held on the margins of the SCO summit. Reiterating India's stand on the war, PM Modi - during the phone call with Zelensky on Tuesday - called for peace and an immediate cessation of hostilities, which came nearly two weeks after Putin had declared a partial mobilization. Zelensky thanked PM Modi for India's support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, his office further said. Meanwhile, on the matter of global food security, Zelensky emphasized that his country was ready to continue acting as a “guarantor” while adding that the support of the entire international community, particularly India, was crucial.

 

Also Read: Russian Nuclear weapons convoy heads for Ukraine front line: Report 

 

"Nuclear blackmail by Russia, particularly regarding the Zaporizhzhia NPP, is a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the whole world," Zelenskyy said on Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also expressed concerns about landmine explosions close to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Zelenskyy and PM Modi also discussed cooperation within international organizations, primarily the United Nations. Apart from that, Zelenskyy also invited PM Modi to visit Ukraine.