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April 11 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden met virtually on Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bid to shore up international support against Russia's war in Ukraine. The two leaders participated in a remote meeting to discuss a range of topics, including the fighting in Ukraine and items like climate change and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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"We share a strong and growing major defense partnership. At the root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family of friendship and of shared values," Biden told Modi during the conference.
"On that note, I want to welcome India's humanitarian support for the people of Ukraine who are suffering a horrific assault including a tragic shelling of a train station last week that killed dozens of innocent children and women and civilians attempting to flee the violence."
Biden said that the United States and India would continue "close consultation" on managing "destabilizing effects" of the Russian war.
"Our continued consultation and dialogue are key to ensuring the U.S.-India relationship continues to grow deeper and stronger," Biden added.
Modi called the situation in Ukraine "very worrying" and noted that 20,000 citizens of India, mostly young students, became trapped there when the fighting began Feb. 24.
"After a lot of hard work, we were successful in getting them all out safely," he said. "One student however lost his life. During this entire process, I spoke several times on the phone with both the presidents of Ukraine and Russia."
Modi also said that in his talks with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he'd appealed for peace and "suggested" direct talks between the two.
"The news of the killing of the civilians in the Bucha city was very worrying. We instantly condemned the killings and have called for an independent inquiry," Modi added, noting that India will send more supplies to Ukraine. "We hope that the ongoing discussions between Russia and Ukraine will lead to peace."
Biden last spoke with Modi in March and met with the Indian leader in person at the White House last September. India is part of the Quad, a strategic security grouping that also includes the United States, Australia and Japan.
"When I was in Washington last year, in September, and you had said at the time that the India-America partnership can contribute to solving a lot of global problems. I totally agree with you," the Indian leader told BIden Monday.
"As two democracies that are the world's largest and oldest, we are natural partners -- and the progress that has taken place in our relations in the last few years, the new momentum that has been created, would have been hard to imagine even a few decades ago."
India has so far maintained a neutral position with regard to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is now in its seventh week. The Indian government continues to buy Russian oil, for example, when some Western nations including the United States have banned imports of the petroleum.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has praised Modi for his neutral stance.
