Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and reiterated his call for an earliest cessation of hostilities with Russia and the need to follow the path of   dialogue and diplomacy.

Incidentally, in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-September, Modi had called for an end to violence.  The two leaders had met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan.  It was the first meeting between Modi and Putin since Russian military action against Ukraine in late February.

Earlier, Modi had held telephonic conversations with Putin and Zelenskyy in the initial stage of the conflict and urged them to hold one to one talks to sort issues.

Giving details of the latest talks with the Ukrainian President, the Ministry of External Affairs said Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his call for an earliest cessation of hostilities with Russia. The PM also conveyed India’s readiness to contribute to any peace process between the two countries.

Modi also laid stress on the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

The Prime Minister emphasised the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear

installations, including in Ukraine.

He underlined the endangerment of nuclear facilities that could have far-reaching and catastrophic impact on public health and the environment.

The two leaders also touched upon important areas of bilateral cooperation, following up on their last meeting in Glasgow in November 2021.