PM Narendra Modi said it was the power of the Indian flag which acted as a guarantee during the Russia-Ukraine war. He said not only Indians but also foreign nationals adorned the Tricolour in order to get rescued from the war region.
The concert hall attack in Moscow on March 22, the deadliest on Russian soil in two decades, claimed the lives of 145 people for which the Islamic State took responsibility. Four gunmen were arrested on Saturday, out of whom three have admitted their guilt amid alleged torture.
All Russian men from 18-30 have one year of mandatory military service, although many find ways to avoid serving. The maximum age for conscripts was raised from 27 to 30 in July 2023.
Putin's remarks came as Russian forces had recently breached Poland's airspace while targeting the border region of Ukraine. This triggered speculations about whether the Kremlin is now planning to target the NATO nations.
Interacting with the Indian community in Singapore, Jaishankar said India should look at its relationship with Russia or any other country from its perspective.
Although the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility, Putin did not mention ISIS in his speech to the nation, and Kyiv accused him and other Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the attack.
Militant Islamist group Islamic State claimed responsibility for Friday's rampage, but there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite emphatic denials from Ukrainian officials that Kyiv had anything to do with it.
The latest development came as Moscow launched air strikes on Kyiv and the western Ukrainian region of Lviv on Sunday, officials said, prompting neighbouring Poland's armed forces to activate aircraft to ensure airspace safety near the border.
PM Modi also assured President Zelenskyy of strengthening the relations between India and Ukraine besides promising support for peace and bringing an early end to the ongoing conflict.
Taking to social media, PM Modi said he emphasized working together to further strengthen the time-tested Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia in the years to come.
The details were independently confirmed by four other sources, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Another of the sources said Putin's trip to China would probably take place in the second half of May.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Kuleba is expected to seek India's support for a peace summit that is being planned in Switzerland within the next couple of months.
Putin sealed his control over Russia for six more years on Monday with a highly orchestrated landslide in an election that followed the harshest crackdown on the opposition and free speech since Soviet times.
The elections indicate that Putin's popularity in Russia has risen to new heights despite the war in Ukraine, which has attracted international scorn. After the win, Putin warned that a Russia-NATO conflict would be one step away from World War Three as tensions are likely to escalate.
Partial results showed Putin winning 87 per cent of the votes in a contest without any serious opposition, extending his rule by six years surpassing that of Joseph Stalin. Other countries said the vote was neither free nor fair due to the imprisonment of political opponents and censorship.
The 71-year-old Russian leader faces three token rivals from Kremlin-friendly parties who have refrained from any criticism of his 24-year rule or his full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago.
The final day will test the strength of the country's opposition, which called for all its supporters to vote at the same time at noon, in an action dubbed "Noon Against Putin."
Russia fired two Iskander-M missiles from the occupied Crimea peninsula that damaged civilian infrastructure and gas and electricity supply lines. Odesa has been targeted almost daily this month, as Russia aims to disrupt the export of goods.
The Russian Presidential elections this time will mark the election to use online voting — the option will be available in 27 Russian regions and Crimea, which Moscow illegally seized from Ukraine 10 years ago.
Commenting on Putin's words, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Washington understood that the Russian leader was restating Moscow's nuclear doctrine, but accused Russia of deploying "reckless and irresponsible" nuclear rhetoric throughout the Ukraine conflict.
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