'Heart-wrenching if children die, solutions not possible on battlefield,' Modi tells Putin

ACKNOWLEDGED INDIA’S SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL STABILITY AND PEACE EFFORTS

On the second and final day of his visit to Russia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly raised the issue of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and told Russian President Vladimir Putin that it is “heartwrenching” when innocent children are killed. PM Modi’s direct reference was to a wave of strikes by Russia on Monday targeting Kyiv, where a children’s hospital was destroyed.

PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with President Putin, their first in two years. This is also their first meeting since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Addressing the invasion head-on while acknowledging the close ties between the two countries, PM Modi told the Russian president: “If innocent children are murdered; if innocent children die, it is heart-wrenching.”

“The solution to this conflict cannot be found on the battlefield; it is only possible through dialogue and diplomacy,” he said.

In his remarks on Tuesday, he said India is willing to offer all possible support, contributions, and cooperation required to address this particular challenge and find peaceful solutions.

“We have expressed our position on this conflict several times in the past. The PM was very clear and categorical in expressing his concern and regret at the loss of innocent lives, including children,” said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra while briefing journalists.