As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has entered its third month in May, many world leaders and countries are criticizing the Russian authorities for their actions. In a recent meeting, India and France called for "an immediate cessation of hostilities" in Ukraine to end the “suffering of the people.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, where both the leaders issued a joint statement condemning the civilian killings in Ukraine, calling for open dialogue and peace between the country and Russia.
PM Modi and French President Macron issued a joint statement on Wednesday, saying, “France and India expressed their deep concern over the humanitarian crisis and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.”
Macron and PM Modi met for bilateral talks and a working dinner. In the joint statement, they said, “Both countries unequivocally condemned the fact that civilians have been killed in Ukraine, and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in order for the two sides to come together to promote dialogue and diplomacy, and to put an immediate end to the suffering of the people.”
Though both the countries delivered the statement, only France openly condemned the actions of the Russian military. The French authorities criticized the "Russian forces' illegal and unjustified aggression against Ukraine", as per AFP reports.
India has not been openly condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine till now. India has strong relations with Moscow, and imports a lot of military hardware from the country, and thus, is currently maintaining a neutral stand on the war.
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PM Modi landed in France on Wednesday and was photographed sharing a friendly embrace with French president Emmanuel Macron, who recently got re-elected to the top post after defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the presidential elections.
After meeting with Macron, PM Modi concluded his three-day trip to Europe, where he visited and met with the top administration of three countries – Germany, Denmark, and France. It should be noted that the European Union has been outwardly criticizing and condemning the actions of Russia in the war, imposing several sanctions on the country.
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