Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the Lex Fridman podcast, reiterated his call for diplomacy to resolve the war in Ukraine, telling Russian President Vladimir Putin that “this is not the time for war” while advising Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that battlefield victories will not lead to a lasting resolution.

Mr Fridman, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 2015, is the host of The Lex Fridman Podcast on YouTube. Mr Fridman’s channel has over 4.5 million subscribers and close to 820 million views.

Speaking on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, PM Modi said he has close ties with both countries.

“I have a close relationship with Russia and Ukraine alike,” he said. “I can sit with President Putin and say that this is not the time for war. And I can also tell President Zelensky, in a friendly way, that brother, regardless of how many people stand with you in the world, there will never be a resolution on the battlefield.”

“Ukraine may hold countless discussions with their allies, but it will bear no fruit. Discussions must include both parties instead,” he added.

The Kremlin confirmed today that Russia and the United States had discussed the “next steps” to end the war, following renewed diplomatic efforts. Hours earlier, Kyiv’s European allies had urged Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The United States had pushed for the ceasefire after talks in Saudi Arabia, which Ukraine accepted.

Speaking on the latest developments, PM Modi said: “Initially, it was challenging to find peace, but now, the current situation presents an opportunity for meaningful and productive talks between Ukraine and Russia. There has been a lot of suffering. Even the Global South has suffered.”

President Putin has so far refrained from agreeing to the proposal, listing a series of conditions and raising what he called “serious questions” about the initiative.

Zelensky accused Moscow of delaying peace efforts, saying, “The Kremlin does not want to end the war. They want to first improve their situation on the battlefield before agreeing to any ceasefire.”

The Russian foreign ministry confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. According to Moscow, the two discussed “concrete aspects of the implementation of understandings” reached at a US.-Russia summit in Saudi Arabia last month.

The man has courage. Makes his own decisions. His America First approach. These are some of the qualities that Prime Minister Narendra Modi said impressed him about US President Donald Trump.

In an interview to podcast host Lex Fridman, PM Modi referenced the 2019 ‘Howdy, Modi’ event in Houston, and how a gesture of Mr Trump’s stands out in his memory.

“We had an event in Houston, Howdy, Modi. Both President Trump and I were there, and the entire stadium was completely packed. A massive crowd at an event in the US is a huge moment. While packed stadiums are common in sports, this was extraordinary for a political rally,” PM Modi told Mr Fridman, also a renowned artificial intelligence (AI) researcher.

“The Indian diaspora had gathered in large numbers. Both of us delivered speeches, and he sat down below, listening to me speak. Now, that’s his humility. The President of the United States sitting in the audience, while I spoke from the stage that was a remarkable gesture on his part,” said PM Modi.

Finishing his speech, recounted PM Modi, he went down to thank Mr Trump and urged him to take a lap around the stadium.

“Without even a moment’s hesitation, he agreed and started walking with me. His entire security detail was thrown off guard. For me, that moment was truly touching, it showed me that this man had courage. He makes his own decisions, but also, he trusted me and my lead in that moment enough to have walked with me into the crowd. It was that sense of mutual trust, a strong bond between us, that I truly witnessed on that day,” said the Prime Minister.

PM Modi, who won a record third term last year, praised President Trump’s “America First spirit”, which he said is similar to his “India First” approach.

“When he was shot during the recent campaign, I saw the same resilient and determined President Trump. The one who walked hand in hand with me in that stadium. Even after being shot, he remained unwaveringly dedicated to America, his life was for his nation. His reflection showed his, ‘America First spirit’, just as I believe in Nation First. I stand for India First and that’s why we connect so well. These are the things that truly resonate,” underlined PM Modi.

PM Modi recounted how when he visited the White House for the first time President Trump broke away from protocols right away.  

“When I visited him in the White House for the first time, there was already a lot written about President Trump in the media. At that time, he was still new to office, and the world had a rather different perception of him. Even I had been briefed in many different ways before meeting him. But to my surprise, the very moment I stepped into the White House, he broke all formal protocols right away,” said PM Modi.

“And then, he personally took me on a tour of the White House. As he showed me around, I noticed something striking, he wasn’t holding any notes, or cue cards, nor was anyone accompanying him to assist. He pointed things out himself,” said PM Modi.

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