Biden speaks with Modi about Indian premier’s recent visit to Ukraine, situation in Bangladesh

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, days after the most prominent leader from a nation that maintains a neutral position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine visited Kyiv.

Modi said in a posting on X that he spoke to Biden about “India’s full support for early return of peace and stability” in Ukraine. He said the leaders also discussed India’s concern about the safety of Hindus and other religious minorities in neighboring Bangladesh after this month’s ouster of the country’s long-serving prime minister.

The White House said Biden commended Modi’s engagement with Ukraine as well as his visit last week to Poland, one of Ukraine’s closest Eastern European allies.

“We welcome any other country that wants to help President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy work towards this just peace, and any country that’s willing to come at that discussion by starting with President Zelensky’s perspective, by hearing him out,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Zelenskyy and Modi during their meeting last week discussed at length Ukraine’s peace formula, which prioritizes territorial integrity and the withdrawal of Russian troops, according to the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“We say it very loudly and clearly that we support the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Modi said during the meeting. “It’s our highest priority.”

The Kyiv visit came after Modi last month met with Putin in Moscow. Zelenskyy had criticized Modi for the visit with Putin, which came on the same day Russian missiles struck across Ukraine, killing scores of people. During the visit, Modi was photographed giving Putin a warm embrace.

India, which has a long-running relationship with Moscow, has largely avoided weighing in on the Russian invasion.

India started building a strong relationship with the then-Soviet Union in the mid-1950s during the Cold War, then strengthened those ties over conflicts with neighbor Pakistan.

The Soviet Union helped mediate a cease-fire between India and Pakistan to end the 1965 war over control of the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. Then, during India’s war with Pakistan in December 1971, the Soviet Union used its veto power to support India at the United Nations, while the U.S. ordered a task force into the Bay of Bengal in support of Pakistan.

Early in the war, Biden referred to India as “somewhat shaky” as he was rounding up allies to squeeze Moscow’s energy income.

India has become a key buyer of Russian oil following sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies that shut most Western markets off to Russian exports. India now gets more than 40% of its oil imports from Russia, according to analysts.

But as a key economic and strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific, the White House has sought to play down Biden and Modi’s differences over Russia’s war in Ukraine as the war in Europe grinds on.

Modi said he also discussed the situation in Bangladesh, where Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India this month.

Her ouster was triggered by student-led protests against a quota system for government jobs. After clashes between protesters and government forces that led to hundreds of deaths, the movement grew into a broader rebellion against the leader and her government.

There have dozens of attacks against against Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh since Hasina’s ouster.

Modi said during the call with Biden he underscored “the need for early restoration of normalcy, and ensuring the safety and security of minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.”

Biden took part in the call from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he is vacationing with family.