India's Modi meets Zelensky for the first time since war broke out
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India and Ukraine were both invited to the G7 summit in Hiroshima as special guests.
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Indian PM Narendra Modi shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, May 20, 2023 (social media)
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, said he met Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time since the start of the Ukraine war on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan. India and Ukraine were both invited to the summit as special guests.
"Met President [Zelenskyy] in Hiroshima. Conveyed our clear support for dialogue and diplomacy to find a way forward. We will continue extending humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine," Modi tweeted.
Met President @ZelenskyyUa in Hiroshima. Conveyed our clear support for dialogue and diplomacy to find a way forward. We will continue extending humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/1srbIIJUB3
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 20, 2023
Attached to the tweet were pictures depicting the two leaders holding a roundtable discussion with the participation of the Indian national security advisor Ajit Doval.
On his part, Zelensky said that he briefed Modi on the tenants of his "peace formula" and invited him to join its implementation. The Ukrainian President also extended his gratitude to India for "supporting our country's [Ukraine's] territorial integrity and sovereignty" and providing humanitarian aid.
Had a meeting with Prime Minister of India @narendramodi in Japan. I briefed the interlocutor in detail on the Ukrainian Peace Formula initiative and invited India to join its implementation. I spoke about Ukraine's needs in humanitarian demining and mobile hospitals. I thank…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 20, 2023
Read more: Japanese PM aims for nuclear arms pledge during G7 summit in Hiroshima
Yesterday, US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders that Washington will endorse supplying advanced warplanes including F-16s to Ukraine and will support efforts to train Kiev's pilots.
Biden said the United States "will support a joint effort with our allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, to further strengthen and improve the capabilities of the Ukrainian Air Force," a White House official revealed.
Furthermore, Group of Seven (G7) leaders warned that China's rapidly growing nuclear arsenal has become a "concern to global and regional stability."
According to the SIPRI research group, China maintains a stockpile of roughly 350 nuclear weapons, which is relatively small in comparison to the stockpiles of the United States. However, it is allegedly rapidly expanding, and according to a Pentagon estimate issued in November, Beijing might have as many as 1,500 warheads by 2035.
