Amid condemnation from the West and ukraine, prime minister Narendra Modi's tight embrace and handshake with Russian President Vladimir Putin around six weeks ago became one of the most memorable pictures during his visit to Moscow. In the first-ever visit by an indian prime minister to ukraine on Friday, Modi went above and above, giving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a warm embrace and resting his hand on his shoulder as they were at a memorial for children who died in the conflict.
 
The three-year-old Russian attack on ukraine is being seen as a threat to India's security, which is why PM Modi made the hand-over-shoulder gesture. As they visited the Martyrologist Exposition in the war-torn nation, Zelenskyy was observed becoming upset.

The solidarity emerges weeks after the West was not impressed with prime minister Modi's first visit to moscow since the start of the war. The US Ambassador to india, Eric Garcetti, stated that the US-Indian partnership should not be "taken for granted".

Saying he was "disappointed to see the leader of the world's largest democracy hug the world's most bloody criminal in moscow," Zelenskyy was especially harsh. The bombing of a children's hospital in Kiev also happened during Modi's visit to moscow, which infuriated both the West and ukraine even more.
 
When a BBC reporter questioned External Affairs minister S jaishankar about Modi's embrace with Putin, he responded sharply.
 
It might not be ingrained in your society. It's ingrained in our society. Yes, we embrace. It appears that our cultural understanding of these curtsies differs slightly," jaishankar remarked.
 
DECODING OPTICS OF PM MODI'S ukraine VISIT
But there was one big difference in the way PM Modi portrayed his travels to russia and the Ukraine. Modi did not visit any memorial for Russian troops who lost their lives in the conflict while in Moscow; instead, he paid his homage at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
 
PM Modi went to the children's Martyrologist exhibit at the National Museum of history of ukraine in Kyiv on Friday. It was erected as a memorial to the kids who had died in the fighting.
 
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Modi expressed his "sorrow at the tragic loss of young lives" and paid tribute to them by putting a toy in remembrance.

At the location, a large group of people had assembled, some of them holding signs that said, "Ancient india should save the world."
 
Following their embrace, Modi and Putin were spotted catching up over tea at the President's dacha in russia while taking in a horse show. Putin was also observed using a golf cart to show PM Modi around his mansion.
 
Additionally, First Deputy prime minister of russia Denis Manturov greeted PM Modi at the airport in Moscow. social media users made note of the fact that Chinese President Xi jinping was greeted during his visit by a lower ranking official than Manturov, indicating that the gesture was not insignificant.
 
 
 
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G GOWTHAM

24/08/2024 08:08 AM