“The death of innocent children is painful”

“When innocent children die, the heart bleeds and that pain is very terrifying.” This is the message that was transmitted this Tuesday byIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modiafter meeting with the President of Russia in the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, a day after the devastating missile attack on a children’s hospital in kyiv.

In a Two-day visit to Moscow that started on Monday, the first by the Indian Prime Minister to Russia since the start of the war in ukraine, Modi said that “war is not a solution” in reference to the conflict in Ukraine.

“Dialogue is necessary,” Modi said, stressing that his country is ready to help establish peace in Ukraine.

“As his friend, I have always told him that Peace is essential “We want to achieve a bright future for future generations, which is why we believe that war is not the solution. The solution cannot be war. Bombs, missiles and guns cannot guarantee peace, which is why we are putting emphasis on dialogue,” he insisted.

This direct criticism of Putin came after both leaders heaped praise on the importance of strategic ties between the two countries.

The timing of the attack at the Ukrainian hospital was embarrassing for Modi as he began his two-day visit on Monday with a meeting with Putin at his Novo Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow.

While Modi Sharing her image hugging Putin on social media platform X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told her it was a “huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy hug the world’s most bloodthirsty criminal in Moscow on such a day.”

Ukrainian authorities recovered fragments of a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile at the kyiv children’s hospital, which was attacked on Monday during a wave of Russian attacks that left More than 30 dead and 140 injured across the country.

Moscow, for its part, said without providing any evidence that it was a Ukrainian anti-missile system the one that hit the hospital.

Until now, India has avoided officially censuring Russia for its military intervention in Ukraine, defending its neutrality and the need to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means.

Despite this, Modi was one of the few leaders of countries allied to Moscow who criticized in September 2022 the military actions initiated by Russia in the neighboring country.The current era is not an era of war. “Today we have an opportunity to discuss how to move towards peace,” the Indian leader told Putin on the sidelines of a summit of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2022.

However, India has not condemned the Russian invasion and has seen the conflict as an opportunity to buy record amounts of Russian oil at a discount as sanctions have decimated Moscow’s trade with the West.

“A strategic partnership”

Putin, who appeared before Modi, said the two countries enjoyed a “particularly privileged strategic partnership” and thanked him for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war.

“I thank you for your attention to the most pressing problems, including the attempt to find ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, first and foremost by peaceful means, of course,” he said.

Modi replied: “As a friend, I have always said that peace is necessary for our future generations. Solutions are not possible on the battlefield. Amidst guns, bullets and bombs, peace talks cannot succeed. We must find the path to peace only through dialogue.”