In a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden on Monday said the US and India will continue their consultations in dealing with the destabilising effects of the Russian war against Ukraine and complimented New Delhi's humanitarian support for the Ukrainian people. In his televised opening remarks, Modi said the recent reports of killings of innocent civilians in Bucha city were very worrying and that India immediately condemned it and demanded a fair investigation.
"We hope that the ongoing dialogue between Russia and Ukraine will lead to peace," PM Modi said.
The prime minister referred to his phone conversations with Ukrainian and Russian presidents and suggested to Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold direct talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.
"Our talks today are taking place at a time when the situation in Ukraine remains very worrying. Till a few weeks ago, more than 20,000 Indians were stranded in Ukraine. And most of these were young students," Modi said. "After a lot of hard work, we were able to get them out of there safely, although one student lost his life. Throughout this development, I spoke on the phone several times with the Presidents of both Ukraine and Russia," he said.
"Not only did I appeal for peace, but I also suggested President Putin to have direct talks with the President of Ukraine. The subject of Ukraine has been discussed in great detail in our Parliament as well," Modi added.
In his remarks, Biden said the US and India will continue close consultation on "how to manage the destabilising effects of this Russian war in Ukraine" "Our continued consultation and dialogue are key to ensure the US-India relationship continues to grow deeper and stronger delivering our people and our global good that we all are seeking to manage particularly in your part of the world," Biden said.