Indian Prime Minister Criticizes Russia's Attack on Ukrainian Children's Hospital in Presence of Putin

Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, criticized the death of innocent children as a "horrific pain" during a joint meeting with Vladimir Putin, one day after Russia's deadly attack on a children's hospital in Ukraine's capital. Mr. Modi made these remarks on Tuesday, July 9, during the first day of his official visit to Moscow. Expressing sorrow over the deaths of children in Ukraine can be seen as an implicit criticism of the Russian leader, who emphasized the importance of strategic relations between the two countries while welcoming Mr. Modi. The Ukrainian government claims that shrapnel from a Russian cruise missile was found in a children's hospital in Kyiv that was attacked on Monday. This model is known in Russia as "X-101" and is designated by NATO as "AS-21 Kodiak." In a wave of missile and drone attacks by Russia on Monday, at least 41 people were killed in various parts of Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed without providing any evidence that the explosion in the children's hospital was caused by a projectile from Ukraine's air defense system. Narendra Modi stated: "Whether in war, armed conflicts, or terrorist attacks, the killing of people is painful for anyone who believes in humanity. When the victims are innocent children, it breaks the human heart, and this is a horrific pain." This is not the first time that the Indian Prime Minister has criticized Russia's actions in Ukraine. In September 2022, Mr. Modi told President Putin that "this is not an era of war." Vladimir Putin acknowledged Mr. Modi's concerns at that time. Nevertheless, the Indian government has not condemned Russia's military invasion and has taken advantage of the opportunity created by Western sanctions against Moscow to purchase discounted Russian oil. For Russia, which is trying to show that Western actions have not led to its isolation, the relationship with India is very important diplomatically as well as economically. Vladimir Putin, who spoke before Narendra Modi, stated that the two countries enjoy "excellent strategic cooperation" and appreciated the Indian Prime Minister's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine. He added: "I appreciate your attention to the most complex issues, including efforts to end the Ukraine crisis, especially through peaceful means." In response, Narendra Modi said: "As a friend, I have always emphasized that peace is vital for future generations. Solutions cannot be found on the battlefield. Negotiating peace cannot yield results while bullets are flying and bombs are being dropped. We can only achieve peace through dialogue." The coincidence of Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Moscow with the missile attack on the children's hospital in Kyiv has embarrassed the Indian Prime Minister. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, reacted to a photo of Mr. Modi embracing Vladimir Putin, which was published on the official social media account of the Indian Prime Minister, stating: "Embracing the most bloodthirsty criminal of Moscow by the leader of the largest democracy in the world on such a day is a great disappointment and a serious blow to the efforts for peace." The U.S. State Department stated on Monday that Washington has once again expressed its concerns regarding relations with Russia to the Indian government. President Joe Biden also described Monday's attacks as a "horrific reminder of Russia's ruthlessness."