Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to Ukraine, embraced President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his customary bear hug. PM Modi and President Zelenskyy then went to pay their respects at a memorial erected for children killed in the war. As the duo walked to the memorial, PM Modi was seen putting his arm around President Zelenskyy’s shoulder — a gesture that showed India’s solidarity with Ukraine’s losses amid a non-stop Russian onslaught.
#WATCH | PM Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honour the memory of children at the Martyrologist Exposition in Kyiv pic.twitter.com/oV8bbZ8bQh
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2024
PM Modi’s action showed that he had Zelenskyy’s back, quite literally. On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin also received a warm hug from Prime Minister Modi just six weeks ago.
🇮🇳 Modi to meet Zelenskiy in Ukraine.
Last month, Zelenskiy slamed Modi-Putin hug, calling it a huge ‘disappointment’.
Modi wants to become a peace broker.#modi #zelensky #putin #Russian #russia pic.twitter.com/PefUp8UmtT
— Aditya Rathore (@imAdityaRathore) August 23, 2024
The similar gesture for both world leaders has positioned India as a strong diplomatic force amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which has the world, especially the West on the boil. Soon after PM Modi’s Russia visit, Zelenskyy criticised him, saying he was “disappointed to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloody criminal in Moscow”.
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In Ukraine today, 37 people were killed, three of whom were children, and 170 were injured, including 13 children, as a result of Russia’s brutal missile strike.
A Russian missile struck the largest children’s hospital in Ukraine, targeting young cancer patients. Many were… pic.twitter.com/V1k7PEz2rJ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 8, 2024
PM Modi paid homage at the Martyrologist Exposition in Kyiv on Friday.He said: “Conflict is particularly devastating for young children. My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief.”
ALSO READ | ‘Will Hold Talks With Russia If…’: Zelenskyy At Peace Summit
