WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, days after the most prominent leader of a country that takes a neutral position on The Russian invasion of Ukraine Visited Kiev.
Modi said in a message on X that he spoke with Biden about “India’s full support for a rapid return of peace and stability” in Ukraine. He said the leaders also discussed India’s concerns about the safety of Hindus and other religious minorities in neighboring Bangladesh following the ouster this month of the country’s long-serving prime minister.
The White House said Biden praised Modi’s engagement with Ukraine, as well as his visit to Poland last weekone of Ukraine’s closest allies in Eastern Europe.
“We welcome any other country that wants to help President (Volodymyr) Zelensky work toward this just peace, and any country that is willing to engage in that discussion by starting with President Zelensky’s perspective, by listening to him,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
Zelenskyy and Modi discussed Ukraine’s position at length during their meeting last week. peace formula, which gives priority to territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said.
“We say it very loud and clear that we support respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Modi said during the meeting. “It is our top priority.”
The visit to Kiev came after Modi met Putin in Moscow last month. Zelenskyy had criticized Modi for the visit to Putin, which took place on the same day Russian missiles hit Ukraine, killing dozens of people. During the visit, Modi was photographed giving Putin a warm hug.
India, which has a long-standing relationship with Moscow, has largely insulated itself from the Russian invasion.
India began building strong ties with the then Soviet Union in the mid-1950s during the Cold War, and later those ties were strengthened during conflicts with neighboring Pakistan.
The Soviet Union helped broker a ceasefire between India and Pakistan to end the 1965 war over control of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Then, during India’s war with Pakistan in December 1971, the Soviet Union used its veto to support India at the United Nations, while the United States sent a task force to the Bay of Bengal in support of Pakistan.
Early in the war, Biden called India “somewhat shaky” as he rallied allies to curb Moscow’s energy revenues.
India has become a major buyer of Russian oil after sanctions imposed by the US and its allies blocked most Western markets to Russian exports. India now faces more than 40% of oil imports from Russia, analysts said.
But as a key economic and strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific, the White House has sought to minimize US influence on the economy. Biden and Modi’s differences about The Russian War in Ukraine while the war in Europe continues.
Modi said he also discussed the situation in Bangladesh, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled this month to India.
Her expulsion was caused by student-led protests against a quota system for government jobs. After clashes between protesters and government forces that left hundreds dead, the movement grew into a broader uprising against the leader and her government.
Since Hasina’s ouster, there have been dozens of attacks on Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Modi said during the call with Biden that he stressed “the need for early restoration of normalcy and ensuring the safety and security of minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh.”
Biden joined the call from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he is vacationing with his family.