Emmanuel Macron dials PM Modi, briefs him about Europe's pledge for Ukraine's post-war security

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday received a call from French President Emmanuel Macron, who briefed him about the pledge of the 26 nations in Europe to send troops to Ukraine to guarantee the security of the Eastern European nation after the end of its conflict with Russia.

“I just spoke with Prime Minister @NarendraModi. I presented him the outcome of the work we carried out with President Zelensky and our partners of the Coalition of the Willing last Thursday in Paris,” Macron posted on X after speaking to Modi, who had also received a call from the European Union leaders, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, on September 4.

“Exchanged views on international and regional issues, including efforts for bringing an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,” Modi posted on X after speaking to Macron.

Costa, von der Leyen, and Macron called Modi soon after he had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Tianjin in northern China on September 1. The prime minister, according to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, had emphasised the need to expedite a cessation of the conflict and find a durable peace settlement. “Ways must be found to bring the conflict to a swift end and to secure peace. This is the call of all humanity,” Modi had told Putin.

The leaders of Europe and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had held a meeting of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in Paris on September 4 to discuss ways to step up pressure on Russia for cessation of hostilities.

Macron had said after the meeting that US support for the “reassurance force” would be finalised “in the coming days” and that the US would work with the countries in Europe in imposing new sanctions on Russia if the former Soviet Union nation continued to stall a deal to end the conflict.

“They exchanged views on recent efforts towards bringing an end to the conflict in Ukraine. PM Modi reiterated India’s consistent support for the peaceful resolution of the conflict and early restoration of peace and stability,” a spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs stated after the phone call between Modi and Macron on Saturday.