PM Modi, Zelenskyy meet for 1st time since Russia-Ukraine war

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan's Hiroshima on Saturday. This marked their first meeting since the Russia-Ukraine war started. Modi left for Japan on Friday morning to participate in three sessions at the G7 Summit as part of his three-nation tour, including Papua New Guinea and Australia next.

• The bilateral talks between Modi and Zelenskyy marked the first meeting between the two leaders since Russia launched its armed invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
• It is also worth remembering that since the Russia-Ukraine crisis began, PM Modi has spoken to Zelenskyy as well as to Russian President Vladimir Putin on numerous occasions to try and broker peace.

The Prime Minister's Office has shared photographs from Modi and Zelenskyy's first in-person meeting since the war began on social media. Besides the prime minister, the country's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval was also part of the bilateral talks.

To recall, in the first high-level visit to India from Ukraine after the Russia conflict started in the eastern European country, Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova visited India in April. During her visit, Dzhaparova also handed over a letter to Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi that was addressed to PM Modi and written by Zelenskyy, reports said.

Last year in October, PM Modi had a telephonic conversation with Zelenskyy where he stated that there could be "no military solution" to the ongoing crisis. Furthermore, Modi also emphasized that India was ready to contribute to any truce efforts. Notably, India has maintained its stand that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.

Besides Zelenskyy, Modi also held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday. Apart from these leaders, he reportedly attended a series of bilateral meetings with several other global leaders. As per multiple reports, Modi has held bilateral talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh, and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.