Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with the top leaders of Russia and Ukraine were “the beginnings of a communication process” between two countries engaged in a serious conflict that has had enormous consequences, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.
In an interactive session at The Conclave 2024 organised by news channel Pratidin Time, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi was one of the very few world leaders who has the “ability” to speak to both the leaders, who “trust” him.
Jaishankar said Prime Minister Modi has had at least three meetings with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also met Putin in September to brief him about Modi’s discussions with Zelenskyy.
“Obviously that talk is centered around what the conflict is all about. It was necessary for NSA Doval to go to Russia so that the Russians know what the Prime Minister spoke to Zelenskyy,” Jaishankar said.
He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict has entered the third year and has had enormous human cost and huge economic consequences across the world.
