PM Modi ‘great patriot’, says Russian President Putin
The HinduRussian President Vladimir Putin on October 27, 2022 praised India's foreign policy regarding the crisis in Ukraine and described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "great patriot". Presence of President Putin in Bali is therefore a critical issue as the summit will bring together US President Joe Biden, UK's new PM Rishi Sunak, Chinese President Xi Jinping and others and could well provide a first hint of wider diplomatic effort to reduce tension over Ukraine. A hint of that willingness was dropped by President Putin during his speech at the Valdai Discussion Club where he made a distinction between "aggressive west" and "traditional west" and said that Russia was not looking for a conflict with the West and ruled out the nuclear option for Ukraine. India and Russia have maintained high level contact since the beginning of the conflict in February 24 and President Putin has been on phone with PM Modi repeatedly during this time, often to ensure safety and security of Indian citizens stuck in Ukraine.