Watch: EAM Jaishankar on PM Modi’s Hug—‘It May Not Be Part of Your Culture, But It’s Ours

During his visit to Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a warm hug to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after their handshake, signaling solidarity with the leader of the war-torn nation.

This embrace occurred just six weeks after PM Modi similarly hugged Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s adversary in the ongoing conflict.

When External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was questioned about the significance of these embraces, particularly in light of Modi’s recent meetings with both Putin and Zelenskyy, he offered a cultural explanation. “In our part of the world, when people meet people, they are given to embracing each other, it may not be part of your culture but I can assure you it is part of ours. In fact, today, I think, I saw, Prime Minister (Modi) also embrace President Zelenskyy,” Jaishankar responded to a Western reporter’s inquiry.

He further elaborated, “And I have seen him do it with a number of other leaders in a number of other places. So, I think, we have a slight … cultural gap here in terms of what these courtesies mean.”

Despite Western concerns, Modi met with Putin in July, emphasizing that the Russia-Ukraine conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield and that peace efforts fail amidst violence.

On Friday, India reiterated the need for dialogue between Ukraine and Russia to find a resolution, as Modi engaged in extensive discussions with Zelenskyy against the backdrop of the ongoing war.