India Not Neutral: PM Modi On Russia-Ukraine War At White House

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that India is not neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war. He reiterated his message in the presence of US President Donald Trump in the White House.

When asked if India can play a role in ending the Russia-Ukraine war, PM Modi says, "As far as the Russia-Ukraine conflict is concerned, I am very happy that President Trump has taken initiatives to restore peace and had telephone calls with President Putin and President Zelenskyy. The world had this thinking that somehow, it is a neutral country in this whole process but this is not true. India has a side and it is of peace."

PM Modi said that India's stand on the issue has been talking about the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in achieving a peaceful solution. He stated, "When I met President Putin, in the presence of media, I had told that this is not the era of war and I have firm conviction that problems cannot be solved on the battlefield. The two sides will have to come to the negotiating table. We support every effort done to bring peace, we support all We appreciate all the efforts taken by Trump"

PM Modi stated that even today that his conviction is that the solutions to war cannot be found on the battlefield, "and ultimately, we have to be at the table." India believes that the solution to the war can be found only when the issue is discussed in a forum where both countries (Russia and Ukraine) will be present. The efforts made by President Trump - I support, and welcome it. I hope he succeeds as soon as possible," he added.

Days ago, the newly-elected US President spoke to PUtin and Zelensky separately over the phone.

In a social media post, Trump stated he and Putin had "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskiy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now."

Also, Trump and Zelenskiy had spoken by phone for about an hour, the latter's office said in a statement.

However, Prime Minister Modi has been firm on his decision that this is "not an era of war but of dialogue and diplomacy"

Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2024 and has caused hundreds of thousands of military casualties and tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties.