Three days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over phone, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dialled the Indian premier on Monday to discuss the conflict with Russia.
Zelenskyy has proposed to meet Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in September.
Glad to speak with President Zelenskyy and hear his perspectives on recent developments. I conveyed India’s consistent position on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict. India remains committed to making every possible contribution in this regard, as well…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 11, 2025
During the call, the Ukrainian leader spoke to Modi about the Russian attacks on Ukrainian settlements, including an airstrike on a bus station in Zaporizhzhia, where several people were injured.
"I am grateful to PM Modi for his warm words of support for our people. We also discussed in detail the sanctions against Russia," Zelenskyy said after the call.
He said it was necessary to restrict Russian oil export in order to stop Moscow's ability to continue funding this war. He added that every leader with tangible leverage over Russia should avoid buying oil from Russia, hinting that Modi should also do the same.
This comes after US President Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports over New Delhi procuring discounted oil from Moscow, which he said is "fuelling the Russian war machine".
Zelenskyy claimed that despite being offered a diplomatic possibility to end the war, Russia is still continuing to occupy Ukrainian territory and kill its citizens instead of getting ready for a ceasefire.
PM Modi said he conveyed India's consistent position on the need for an early, peaceful resolution of conflict, adding that the country is committed to making every possible contribution for peaceful resolution of Ukraine conflict. India has called the US tariffs as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable", pointing out that the US and European countries still import from Russia.
During his call with Putin on Friday, Modi discussed the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership and said that he is looking forward to hosting the Russian President in India later this year.
