India’s prime minister assured Volodymyr Zelensky “to understand his plight” and that of his people, during a meeting at the G7. India has so far refused to condemn the conflict in Ukraine.

India will do “everything possible” to find a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday during a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

“I fully understand your suffering and the suffering of the Ukrainian people. I can assure you that in order to resolve (this conflict, editor’s note), India and I personally will do everything we can,” Narendra Modi assured Volodymyr Zelensky.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine fifteen months ago, which India has so far rejected, although the country has enjoyed decades of political, economic and military ties with Moscow.

Zelensky “thank you” India

A message posted on Volodymyr Zelensky’s Telegram account said he was “thanking India for supporting the integrity and territorial sovereignty of” Ukraine, “especially in front of international organizations”.

The Ukrainian president also thanked Narendra Modi for the humanitarian assistance provided to his war-torn country and asked India to participate in the implementation of the “peace formula” drawn up by Ukraine.

The Ukrainian head of state arrived in Hiroshima on Saturday afternoon for a surprise, in-person appearance at the G7, having secured much-needed US approval the day before for his future ally’s delivery of American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.