World leaders hope peace effort can help end War in Ukraine

By Stefan J. Bos

With reports of more death and destruction on Tuesday, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting Ukraine and Kyiv as part of efforts to end Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War Two.

The White House said both leaders expressed "support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in accordance with international law, on the basis of the United Nations Charter."

Last week's visit to Ukraine was the first visit by an Indian prime minister in modern Ukrainian history. It came at a volatile juncture in Russia's war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

Moscow is making slow gains in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv presses a cross-border incursion.

However, Modi urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet with Russia's leadership to discuss ending the war and offered to help bring peace.

The prime minister's Ukraine visit followed one he made to Russia in July, on the same day that a deadly Russian missile strike hit a children's hospital.

Yet fresh calls for peace come too late for rescue workers who, assisted by dogs, are searching beneath the rubble in the hope of finding more survivors.

Authorities said Russia launched further deadly strikes on Ukraine with missiles and drones on Tuesday morning, a day after Moscow carried out a 'massive' attack on Ukraine's power grid.

One of the strikes hit a hotel in the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih, reportedly killing two people and injuring five.

Another two people were reportedly killed and four injured in drone attacks on the city of Zaporizhzhia.

It comes as Ukraine said it captured nearly 600 Russian soldiers since the beginning of its offensive inside Russia's Kursk region. Kyiv claims to control more than 100 settlements or 1,294 square kilometers of Russian territory.

With fighting ongoing, the U.S. and India now say they hope peace will soon return to this troubled region.