Macron, Modi vow to work together to end Ukraine war

French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed to work together to try to end the conflict in Ukraine, following warnings of a nuclear catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia power plant.

Following a telephone conversation on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to work together to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.  AP - Francois Mori

French President Emmanuel Macron discussed via telephone on Tuesday the crisis in Ukraine with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the two agreeing to work together to try to end the conflict.

The conversation came just hours after Macron held a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Macron underlined his concerns about risks to Ukraine's nuclear facilities –specifically the Zaporizhzhia power plant – as result of the fighting with Russia.

Macron, who received the Indian Prime Minister in May in Paris, stressed France's "determination to continue its support for Ukraine".

The exchange also came as India celebrated its 75th anniversary of independence from the British Empire.

PM Narendra Modi said he spoke to President Emmanuel Macron and conveyed India’s solidarity with France in dealing with the devastating wildfireshttps://t.co/giPhiW5Av9

— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) August 16, 2022

• Macron calls for withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine nuclear plant
• On the 75th anniversary of independence, Hindu nationalism gains support among India’s youth

Food crisis and Indo-Pacific security

To date, India has refrained from openly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and from joining the UN votes on the matter.

In June, however, New Delhi co-signed a G7 statement pledging to "respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other states".

Faced with the food crisis caused by the conflict in Ukraine, the French President also reaffirmed "the importance for the international community to act in a coordinated manner".

According to the Elysée Palace, the two leaders also discussed the challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and the situation in Sri Lanka.

India is concerned about China's growing influence in Sri Lanka, which has taken on large debts to Beijing in recent years to develop major infrastructure projects.