Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed India’s support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion in a rare phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a month after Kyiv criticized New Delhi, AFP writes.
Zelenskyi “thanked Narendra Modi for India’s support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Ukrainian president said in a statement.
He also highlighted the importance of Modi’s recent statement against war during a meeting with Vladimir Putin in mid-September, when he told him “this is not the time for war”.
Kyiv criticized New Delhi for its previous neutrality in the face of the Russian invasion. The head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba, even accused India of “profiting” from Ukrainian and Western “victims”, referring to the large discounts that India received on Russian oil.
“India can buy Russian oil only at a very low price (…) because someone in Ukraine is dying, and someone in Europe is applying sanctions,” Kuleba lamented.
A much more conciliatory Zelenskyi emphasized to Modi on Tuesday the “importance of strengthening the Ukrainian-Indian partnership against the backdrop of Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian presidency reported.
He also condemned Russia’s “nuclear blackmail, especially at the Ukrainian plant” in Zaporizhzhia, which is occupied by Russian troops. This is “a threat not only to Ukraine, but also to the whole world,” the Ukrainian president added.
His meeting came a day after Kuleba embarked on a 10-day tour of Africa to “consolidate political support” for Kyiv on the continent, where no country has actually joined Western sanctions against Russia.
Russia is also trying to get Africa on its side. This summer, the head of his diplomacy, Serhiy Lavrov, visited several African countries.
Ukraine is one of the main suppliers of grain to Africa, but its exports have fallen sharply this year due to Russia’s blockade of its seaports, which has sent prices soaring.
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Source: Hot News RU
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