‘India not neutral’: PM Modi sides with peace ahead of Vladimir Putin meet
Vladimir Putin told PM Narendra Modi that he was grateful for the attention India was paying to peace efforts on Ukraine.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gave a message of peace ahead of his bilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin at New Delhi's Hyderabad House.
While referring to the Russia-Ukraine War, Modi told Putin that India was “not neutral” but in fact “on the side of peace”.
“India is on the side of peace. We always support peace. We support a peaceful solution to the conflict,” Modi said before the start of the meeting.
Follow Vladiir Putin's India visit LIVE updates here.
Putin told PM Modi that he was grateful for the attention India was paying to peace efforts on Ukraine.
Russia and India have relations in the military sphere, as well as in space development, artificial intelligence, and other areas, Putin said.
"We plan to move forward in all these areas," he added
The 23rd Russia-India Summit takes place at a pivotal moment, as the United States pushes for a Ukraine peace deal while seeking global cooperation. They will test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the nearly four-year war in Ukraine grinds on.
Vladimir Putin's India visit
Russian President Vladimir Putin is on his first visit to India in four years for a two-day State visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier, the Russian President paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in the national capital, following his ceremonial welcome and a tri-services guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
He laid a wreath and paid floral tributes at the memorial to the Father of the Nation and also signed the visitors' book at the Rajghat.
The Russian President was accompanied by the minister of state for external affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, to the memorial site.
Prior to his arrival at the Rajghat, the President of the Russian Federation was welcomed by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where he received the ceremonial tri-services guard of honour. As the forecourt echoed with the sound of the Indian and Russian national anthems, he was greeted by the ceremonial guard.
