Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky has harshly rebuked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for embracing the “world’s bloodiest criminal” Vladimir Putin.
The Indian leader is currently being received by the Kremlin autocrat in Moscow.
Modi arrived on the day Putin’s forces bombed the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in kyiv with a powerful Kh-101 missile in a day of savage Russian attacks on Ukraine that killed 38 people, including four children, and injured more than 170.
The couple hugged each other when they met as Putin welcomed him at his Novo-Ogaryovo palace outside Moscow. Zelensky had met Modi last month.
The furious Ukrainian president posted: “It is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts to see the leader of the world’s largest democracy embrace the world’s bloodiest criminal in Moscow on a day like this.”
PM Modi and President Putin hugged each other while displaying friendly attitude yesterday
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin embraced during an informal meeting yesterday
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk during their meeting yesterday
Zelensky had met Modi last month and described the Indian prime minister’s friendly meeting with Putin as a “devastating blow”.
Emergency and rescue personnel along with doctors and others clear the rubble of the destroyed building of Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital following a Russian missile attack.
Children who were hospitalized at the center – one of the largest children’s hospitals in Europe – had to be evacuated.
Putin and Modi displayed a friendly display as they chatted over tea, exchanged pleasantries and toured the estate’s expansive grounds, with Putin driving the visiting Indian leader around in an electric rickshaw.
However, Modi coldly demanded that all Indians serving in the Russian armed forces be released and sent home.
There was outrage that Indians felt cheated and had fought on Putin’s front line.
“Russia has agreed to dismiss all Indians serving in its military and facilitate their return,” NDTV said.
Modi is also believed to have told Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to the war.
Dialogue and diplomacy are the way to resolve the conflict in Ukraine because the solution will not be found on the battlefield, he told the Russian dictator.
This came after Volodymyr Zhvnyr, director general of the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in kyiv, said Russia was a “terrorist state” that “should not exist as a country” following its attacks on civilians, including children.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence near Moscow.
Modi is also believed to have told Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit a horse stable during their meeting
“Our hospital is the largest children’s hospital in Europe,” he said. “More than 600 children are treated here every day.”
“This is where children find hope: hope for health, hope for life. And it was precisely in this (medical) facility that a Russian missile fell today.
‘I’m tired of saying that Russia is a terrorist country.
“This is further proof that Russia should not exist as a country.”
The hospital chief said: ‘I am very sad that this has happened, that people are dead, that children are injured.
‘All Ukrainians are concerned about children with cancer and dialysis who are left without help.
‘And we, Ukrainians and everyone who supports freedom, must remain strong.
We must be able to counterattack the aggressor.
“We must win, because without victory there will be no peace.
“Glory to Ukraine. Glory to our armed forces. Glory to the doctors.”
Two people died and 32 were injured in the hospital.
Rescuers work at the Ohmatdyt Children’s Hospital that was damaged during a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in kyiv, Ukraine, July 8, 2024.
Dramatic images show the scale of the devastation following the horrific Russian attack on a kyiv hospital this morning
A huge fireball can be seen rising over kyiv today, along with another column of smoke.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said today that Russia did not attack the hospitals and instead blamed Ukraine for the attack.
A journalist asked the dictator’s spokesman: “After yesterday’s tragedy in the children’s hospital in kyiv, how can Russia continue to claim that the special military operation (war) has no civilian targets?”
Peskov replied: ‘I urge you to refer to the statement of the Russian Ministry of Defence, which categorically denies any attacks on civilian targets.
‘He claims that it was a fall of an anti-missile missile.’
It is believed to refer to a Ukrainian air defense missile.
Peskov said: “We continue to insist: we do not attack civilian targets.
“The attacks are carried out against critical infrastructure facilities, against military targets that are in one way or another related to the military potential of the kyiv regime.”