Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a series of high-level conversations with global leaders this week, the latest being with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. Earlier in the week, Modi also spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, following his exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The discussions underscored India’s continuing call for peaceful resolutions to global conflicts and its active engagement with all sides.
Macron’s call with PM Modi
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Modi received a telephone call from French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. The two leaders reviewed ongoing efforts towards resolving conflicts in Ukraine and the West Asia region.
PM Modi posted on X: “Had a very good conversation with my friend President Macron. Exchanged views on efforts for peaceful resolution of conflicts in Ukraine and in West Asia. Reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the India-France strategic partnership.”
Had a very good conversation with my friend President Macron. Exchanged views on efforts for peaceful resolution of conflicts in Ukraine and in West Asia. Reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthen the India-France strategic partnership.@EmmanuelMacron
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 21, 2025
The PMO added that President Macron shared his assessment of recent Washington meetings involving leaders from Europe, the United States and Ukraine, as well as his perspectives on Gaza.
According to the release, Modi reiterated India’s “consistent support for peaceful resolution of the conflicts and early restoration of peace and stability.” The leaders also took stock of progress in areas such as trade, defence, civil nuclear cooperation, technology and energy, while reaffirming their joint commitment to mark 2026 as the ‘Year of Innovation’. Macron also conveyed support for the early conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron also wrote, “I have just spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We coordinated our positions on the war in Ukraine in order to move towards a just and lasting peace, with strong guarantees for Ukraine and Europe’s security. On trade issues, we agreed to strengthen our economic exchanges and our strategic partnership in all areas — this is the key to our sovereignty and independence.”
“Following up on the AI Action Summit held in Paris last February, we are working towards the success of the AI Impact Summit to be held in New Delhi in 2026. For more effective multilateralism, we agreed to work closely together in preparation for the French presidency of the G7 and the Indian presidency of the BRICS in 2026,” he added.
I have just spoken with Prime Minister @NarendraModi.
We coordinated our positions on the war in Ukraine in order to move towards a just and lasting peace, with strong guarantees for Ukraine and Europe’s security.
On trade issues, we agreed to strengthen our economic exchanges…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 21, 2025
Putin’s conversation earlier this week
On Monday, Modi held a telephonic exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, Putin shared insights from his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.
PM Modi later wrote, “Thank my friend, President Putin, for his phone call and for sharing insights on his recent meeting with President Trump in Alaska. India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard. I look forward to our continued exchanges in the days to come.”
Previous exchange with Zelenskyy
The conversation with Putin came after Modi’s interaction with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy exactly a week earlier. Zelenskyy had extended Independence Day greetings to India and expressed hope that New Delhi would contribute to efforts aimed at ending the war.
Responding on X, Modi said: “Thank you President Zelenskyy for your warm greetings. I deeply value the joint commitment to forging even closer ties between India and Ukraine. We earnestly wish our friends in Ukraine a future marked by peace, progress and prosperity.”
India’s outreach this week to leaders in Paris, Moscow and Kyiv signals its continuing emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy amid one of the world’s most protracted conflicts.
