Conflict particularly devastating for children: PM Modi in Ukraine

Mangalore Today News Network

Ukraine, August 23, 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage at the Martyrologist exposition on children in Kyiv along with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and said "Conflict is particularly devastating for young children". The Prime Minister arrived in Kyiv earlier today after a nearly seven-hour trip from Poland to hold talks with the Ukraine President. Russia and Ukraine have been involved in a long-drawn conflict for the last 2.5 years.

Martyrologist exposition has been built in memory of children who lost their lives in the ongoing conflict which has witnessed intense battles in several cities of Ukraine.

"My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief," the Prime Minister said in a post on X, where he paid homage to the children who have died in the conflict.

The two leaders are scheduled to hold both one-on-one and delegation-level talks with a focus on ways to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ukraine President paid their respects by keeping a toy in memory of the children who died. President Zelensky shared a video on X where he wrote "Children in every country deserve to live in safety. We must take this possible."

India has advocated dialogue and diplomacy since the beginning of the conflict which began on February 24, 2022. On several occasions, the Prime Minister has said that this is "not the era of war". In his joint statement with the Polish Prime Minister, he underscored the relevance of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes between nations.

PM Modi last met Mr Zelensky in June on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy’s Apulia. In the meeting, he conveyed to the Ukrainian President that India would continue to do everything within its means to support a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict and that the way to peace is through "dialogue and diplomacy".

He also told Mr Zelensky that India believes in a "human-centric" approach to finding a solution to the conflict in Ukraine. In that meeting, the Ukrainian president invited the prime minister to Kyiv. His Ukraine visit comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Russia during which he held extensive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin largely with a focus on ending the conflict.