April 11 (UPI) — President Joe Biden will meet virtually on Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bid to shore up international support against Russia’s war in Ukraine. The White House said that Biden will speak with Modi during a remote meeting late Monday morning. Press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that the two leaders will work to “further deepen ties” between the United States and India.
The two leaders will also address COVID-19, climate change, the global economy and “upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Psaki added.
The meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. EDT.
India has so far maintained a neutral position with regard to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is now in its seventh week. The Indian government continues to buy Russian oil, for example, when some Western nations including the United States have banned imports of the petroleum.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has praised Modi for its neutral stance.
Biden last spoke with Modi in March and met with the Indian leader in person at the White House last September. India is part of the Quad, a strategic security grouping that also includes the United States, Australia and Japan.
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