After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, which focused on bilateral ties and the ongoing war with Russia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the media to share details of the discussions.

When asked by an international journalist about the recent controversy over PM Modi's embrace of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his Moscow visit, and the subsequent concerns raised in Ukraine, Jaishankar emphasized that the gesture is rooted in Indian culture.

He explained that in India, it is customary for people to embrace each other as a warm gesture, and that PM Modi follows this practice with all heads of state, whether in their home countries or during visits to India. Jaishankar noted that PM Modi extended the same courtesy to President Zelenskyy during their meeting in Kyiv, just as he did with President Putin in Russia.