Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine at a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen.
“We appealed for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the path of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the problem,” he said.
Modi, who is on a visit to Europe to attend the 2nd India-Nordic Summit, landed in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen on Tuesday. On Monday, he was in Germany, where he held bilateral discussions with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
At Tuesday’s press conference, the Danish prime minister said she hoped that India will use its influence over Russia to end the war.
“We discussed the consequences of horrible crimes committed against civilians and the serious humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” Frederiksen added, reported ANI. “The reports on the killings of civilians in Bucha are deeply shocking. We have condemned these killings and stress the need for an independent investigation.”
The Ukrainian Army retook control of the key commuter town of Bucha, which is north of Kyiv, in April and said it had found dozens of bodies after Russian forces had withdrawn. Bucha’s mayor had added that streets were littered with corpses. “All these people were shot, killed, in the back of the head,” Mayor Anatoly Fedoruk told the AFP.
On Tuesday, Frederiksen said the European Union condemned Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, ANI reported.
“My message is very clear, Russian President Vladimir Putin got to stop this war and end the killings,” she said. “I, of course, hope that India will influence Russia in this discussion.”
Modi and Frederiksen also discussed other regional and global matters, including the Indo-Pacific ties and the India-European Free Trade Agreement.
“We hope that the negotiations on the India-European Free Trade Agreement will be concluded at the earliest,” Modi wrote on Twitter.
The free trade deal talks had been stalled since 2013 after both sides failed to reach an agreement. They decided to resume negotiations in May last year.
The two leaders also emphasised on the need to ensure a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific region, Modi said.
“Our two countries share values of democracy, freedom of expression, and the rule of law,” the Indian prime minister added. “Together we both have several complementary strengths.”
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