Leader of world's largest democracy hugging world's most bloody criminal: Ukraine's Zelenskyy blasts Modi-Putin meet

This is Modi's first visit to Russia since the start of the Ukraine war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed a visit by India’s prime minister to Russia, calling it a blow to peace efforts that fell on the same day as a deadly Russian missile strike.

“It is 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,” Zelenskyy said in a post on the social-media site X. The post included photos of a missile strike that hit a children’s hospital in Kyiv and killed dozens.

Zelenskyy’s comments came on the second day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Moscow, a trip that affirms longtime ties between the two countries but that has drawn concerns from the US, which has sought to isolate Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin for a private dinner on Monday following his arrival in the Russian capital, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said. Russia’s first deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov received Modi at Moscow’s airport.

US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Monday that Washington has already raised its concerns about India’s relationship with Russia.

“We welcome people engaging with Russia about the war in Ukraine if they made clear to Russia that Russia needs to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Miller said.

India has avoided censuring Russia for its war and abstained at United Nations votes on the issue, but has advocated diplomacy to resolve the conflict.

Modi posted photos of himself on X hugging Putin when they met Monday, saying he was looking forward to further talks “which will surely go a long way in further cementing the bonds of friendship between India and Russia.”

Isolated for its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has laid out the red carpet for Modi. India is a major buyer of Russian oil and military hardware supplies. Maintaining the relationship is a balancing act for Modi, which is seeking investment and technology from the US. Washington is also seeking closer ties with India, which it sees as a regional counterweight to China.

Economic issues, energy supplies and manufacturing will dominate Modi’s visit, as the two countries look to bolster the relationship, Indian officials said. On Tuesday, Modi will visit an exhibition of the Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy industry in Moscow before engaging Putin in formal bilateral talks in the afternoon.

Russia and India are likely to agree on a long-term uranium supply pact for a nuclear power plant coming online in the southern state of Tamil Nadu and also sign an agreement allowing the military to use each other’s facilities for training, port calls and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.