Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday said to PM Modi that, ‘Putin doesn’t respect you’.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has voiced sharp criticism against India for its continued purchases of Russian crude oil, which he claims are fueling Russia’s war economy amidst the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Zelensky’s remarks come after a Russian missile strike on Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Moscow last month, a timing Zelensky suggested was a clear sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s disregard for India and its leadership.
During a press briefing following his talks with Prime Minister Modi, Zelensky did not hold back in expressing his concerns over India’s role in supporting Russia economically. “India has global influence as a very big country…and a very big influence on the Russian economy. Today, you have it, and it’s true because really a lot of export possibilities for Russia were closed but India is open,” Zelensky stated. He emphasized that India’s oil imports from Russia generate billions of dollars, which he claims are being funneled into Russia’s military efforts against Ukraine.
“It’s about billions which are coming back, which Putin uses only because he has now really, officially, a war economy,” Zelensky said. He further added, “If you will stop imports of oil, Putin will have huge challenges… Prime Minister Modi wants peace more than Putin, this is the problem…The problem is that Putin doesn’t want [peace].”
Zelensky also made a pointed reference to Modi’s visit to Russia on July 8-9 for the annual summit with Putin, sarcastically noting that while Modi was discussing peace with Putin, the Russian military was launching attacks on Ukrainian civilians. “I don’t have all the details of the Moscow meeting, but I said to the prime minister, with whom you have a deal? You speak with him, he’s speaking [about how] he wants peace but at this moment exactly he is attacking a hospital,” Zelensky remarked. He underscored that the timing of the attack, during Modi’s official visit, was a significant indicator of Putin’s lack of respect for the Indian leader.
Zelensky expressed deep disappointment over the images of Modi hugging Putin during their meeting in Moscow, which were widely circulated in the media. He described the scene as “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 bloody criminal in Moscow on such a day.”
Zelensky also rejected any notion that Putin might not have control over the Russian military, insisting that “Putin controls everything, so he can’t say that he doesn’t control his army.”
The Ukrainian president’s sharp criticism highlights the growing tensions and the complex dynamics between India, Ukraine, and Russia as the conflict continues.
