Zelenskyy calls Narendra Modi's hug with Putin a 'big disappointment' after Okhmatdet strike
It is a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hugging the world's bloodiest criminal in Moscow on a day like this, he said
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 9 July that he was disappointed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow amid Russia's attack on the Okhmatdyt children's hospital in Kyiv.
Modi arrived in Moscow on 8 July, his first trip to Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On the morning of 8 July, Russia launched a missile attack on Kyiv, Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih and other cities, killing at least 38 people and wounding more than 170.
One missile hit the building of the Okhmatdyt hospital, Ukraine's largest children's medical centre.
While Western officials condemned the Russian attack, Modi posted photos of himself shaking hands and hugging Putin, expressing hope for "strengthening the bonds of friendship" between the two nations.
Gratitude to President Putin for hosting me at Novo-Ogaryovo this evening. Looking forward to our talks tomorrow as well, which will surely go a long way in further cementing the bonds of friendship between India and Russia. pic.twitter.com/eDdgDr0USZ
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2024
"It's a huge disappointment and a crushing blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hugging the world's bloodiest criminal in moscow on a day like this," Zelensky tweeted (X).
"Thank you to President Putin for hosting me in Novo-Ogaryovo tonight. I am also looking forward to our talks tomorrow which will undoubtedly go a long way in strengthening the friendly ties between India and Russia," Modi tweeted.
The Russian military struck a children's hospital with an X-101 cruise missile, killing at least two people and wounding at least 50, according to preliminary SBU data.
During the day, Russia launched another attack on Kyiv, with debris damaging a maternity hospital in another district, killing seven people.
New Delhi has repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution to Russia's war against Ukraine, but at the same time has maintained close economic ties with Moscow. India has become one of the main buyers of Russian oil after Western sanctions, although pressure from US sanctions is increasingly threatening this trade.
Although India participated in the Ukrainian Global Peace Summit in June, Modi did not attend in person, and the Indian representative ultimately did not sign the joint communiqué.
Background. Earlier, it was reported that Narendra Modi would go to Moscow to demand the return of Indians recruited for the war against Ukraine. Indian citizens were fraudulently drawn into the war against Ukraine, the country's Foreign Ministry said.
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