EU leaders talk to Indian PM about ending the war during the meeting of the "coalition of the willing"

Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council António Costa had a phone call with the prime minister of India Narendra Modi in the fields meetings of the "coalition of the willing" in Paris. Details of the conversation published in a joint statement by European politicians.

"We sincerely welcome India's continued cooperation with President Zelenskyy. India has an important role to play in ending Russia's war of aggression and helping to create a path to peace. This war has global security implications and undermines economic stability. Therefore, it poses a risk to the entire world," the publication says.

Meanwhile, Modi wrote that during the call, the parties "exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and efforts to bring the Russian-Ukrainian war to a speedy end."

Von der Leyen and Costa also added that in the future, the EU plans to agree on a joint strategic program at the next EU-India summit, which will take place "as early as possible in 2026."

"We also remain fully committed to concluding negotiations on a free trade agreement by the end of the year. Progress is needed now to achieve this goal," the European officials said.

• India is one of the largest buyers of Russian oil. In August, the US president doubled tariffs against the country to 50%, recalling that it sponsors the military machine of the Russian Federation.
• On August 30, on the eve of the SCO summit, president Zelenskyy had a conversation with Modi – he supported the need for a ceasefire.
• The very next day, the Indian prime minister met with Putin and called on the dictator to end the war as soon as possible.