Putin Says Constantly In Touch With India Over Ukraine Conflict: Report

The event was the high point of the 87-year-old pope's four days in the capital, Jakarta, on the first stop of a 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania, with visits to East Timor, Singapore and Papua New Guinea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday named India among the three countries he is constantly in touch with over the Ukraine conflict and said they are sincerely making efforts to resolve it, state-owned TASS news agency reported.

Reporting on his remarks at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, US media outlet Politico reported him as also saying, "If there is a desire of Ukraine to carry on with the negotiations, I can do that." Putin's remarks came within two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's historic visit to Ukraine where he held talks with President President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"We respect our friends and partners, who, I believe, sincerely seek to resolve all issues surrounding this conflict, primarily China, Brazil and India. I constantly keep in touch with our colleagues on this issue," Putin was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency.