Modi also conveyed his eagerness to welcome Bennett in India at an early date, reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke with his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett over phone and discussed the recent geo-political developments, including the situation in Ukraine.
The Russia-Ukraine war has entered its 40th day. Explosions were heard on Monday in the cities of Kherson and Odesa, in the south, while air raid sirens sounded across the east.
Modi conveyed his best wishes to Bennett for early recovery after his Covid-19 diagnosis. The Prime Minister also expressed his condolences for the loss of lives in the recent terrorist attacks in Israel.
“The leaders had a detailed discussion on recent geo-political developments, including the situation in Ukraine. They also reviewed the ongoing bilateral cooperation initiatives,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Modi also conveyed his eagerness to welcome Bennett in India at an early date.
On the Russia-Ukraine war, India has called for “restraint on all sides” and said that all issues between both the countries can only be resolved through “diplomatic dialogue”.
Earlier, Modi had spoken to both Russia President Valdamir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in an attempt to resolve the issue through “dialogue”.
Modi had also welcomed the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and expressed hope that they would lead to a cessation of the conflict.
Similarly, Bennett plays a peacemaker’s role in the war and has made numerous calls to both Putin and Zelensky in an attempt to assist the efforts to resolve the conflict.
Zelensky to address UNSC
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will address an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
In his nightly video address, the President said that it is in Ukraine’s interest to have an open and transparent investigation into the alleged killing of civilians in Bucha city, located about 60 km from Kiev, reports the BBC.
“I would like to emphasise that we are interested in the most complete, transparent investigation, the results of which will be known and explained to the entire international community,” he said.
“There will come a time when every Russian will learn the whole truth about who of their fellow citizens killed. Who was the one who ordered. Who closed their eyes to murder.
“We will set it all up. And we’ll make it globally famous. It’s the year 2022 now. And we have far more tools than those who held the Nazis accountable since WWII,” the President added.
His announcement comes after he made a trip to Bucha on Monday.
During the visit, Zelensky “inspected the road with the destroyed Russian equipment and talked to the locals”, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.
The city of Bucha, along with Monastyrskyi, Irpin, Hostomel, Borodyanka, Makariv, Kopyliv, Motyzhyn, all in the Kiev region, were liberated from Russian forces on April 2.
Later that day, Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk announced that a mass grave was discovered in the city where almost 300 people were buried.
On April 3, Iryna Venediktova, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, said that the bodies of 410 civilians killed in Bucha have been taken to be examined by forensic experts, adding that any evidence gathered will be recorded for the ongoing case of Russian war crimes.
According to the Prosecutor General, there is “crucial evidence of brutal war crimes perpetrated by the Russian Federation in the liberated territories of the Kiev region”.
Zelensky has termed the killings as “genocide”.
