Zelensky writes to Modi, seeks more humanitarian aid

New Delhi: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting additional humanitarian supplies, including medical equipment and medicines, according to a letter handed over by Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova to MoS Meenakshi Lekhi during her first three-day visit to India.

The Ukraine minister called on Meenakshi Lekhi and discussed bilateral and international issues of mutual interest.

It is pertinent to mention that this was the Ukrainian minister's first official visit to India since the beginning of the war with Russia last year. Zelensky last December had a telephone conversation with PM Modi and thanked him for humanitarian support.

During the call, the two leaders exchanged views about the ongoing Ukraine war. PM Modi even strongly reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and suggested to him that both sides should revert to diplomacy.

Modi held telephonic conversations with the Ukraine President and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the resolution of the conflict.

The Prime Minister had even told Putin that now is not a time for war, with food, fertilizer, and fuel security among the major concerns of the world at present. "I know that today's era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this," Modi told Putin on the sidelines of a regional security bloc summit in Uzbekistan.

Responding to these remarks, Putin reportedly told PM Modi that he knows of India's 'concerns' about the Ukraine war. "I know about your position on the conflict in Ukraine, and I know about your concerns. We want all of this to end as soon as possible."

India has shied away from explicitly condemning Russia for the invasion, which sent the price of oil and other commodities soaring.