‘It may not be part of your culture, but it’s ours’: EAM Jaishankar on PM Modi’s hug diplomacy

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

This hug came barely six weeks after PM Modi similarly hugged Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s arch enemy.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was asked about the ‘embrace’ in a question meant to seek comments on apparent linkages with Modi’s meetings with Putin earlier and Zelenskyy now.

“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 our’s. In fact, today, I think, I saw, Prime Minister (Modi) also embrace President Zelenskyy,” Jaishankar replied to a specific question by a Western reporter which mentioned in as many words about Modi’s embrace of Putin a few weeks ago.

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#WATCH | Kyiv: On PM Modi's hug to President Putin in Moscow, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "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, it is part of our culture..." pic.twitter.com/PJOwrJIFIo

— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2024

“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,” Jaishankar added.

Much to the chagrin of the Western powers that be, Modi met Putin in July and spoke about how a solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and how peace efforts do not succeed in the midst of bombs and bullets.

On Friday, India maintained that Ukraine and Russia need to engage with each other to find a solution to the ongoing conflict between them as Modi held wide-ranging talks with Zelenskyy under the shadow of the raging war.

With inputs from agencies.