In a recent meet up of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, Modi expressed sorrow over the recent attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv, which killed several children. “Whether it is war, conflict or a terrorist attack, any person who believes in humanity, is pained when there is loss of lives,” Modi said. “But even in that, when innocent children are killed, the heart bleeds and that pain is very terrifying.” He further added.
Ukrainian authorities blame a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile for the attack, but Russia claims, without proof, that a Ukrainian anti-missile system hit the hospital. Modi’s remarks, which emphasized the pain of losing innocent lives, especially children, indirectly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi stated that any humane person is deeply hurt by such tragedies, whether caused by war, conflict, or terrorism.
Earlier, Putin welcomed Modi with comments on the strong strategic ties between Russia and India. Despite Modi’s past criticisms of the Ukraine conflict—in September 2022, he told Putin that “today’s era is not an era of war”—India has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, 2022 which led to a full-fledged war between Russia and Ukraine. Instead, India has bought large amounts of discounted Russian oil, benefiting from Western sanctions that have limited Russia’s trade with Western nations.
Modi’s comments at the Kremlin highlight India’s complex diplomatic position, balancing its strategic relationship with Russia and its stance on humanitarian issues in the Ukraine conflict.
