India stands ready to give all possible support to restoring peace to Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Vienna after a Russia visit that has been criticised by western leaders.
Mr Modi arrived in the Austrian capital after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where the Indian leader urged "peace through dialogue", saying that "war cannot solve problems".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised a photo of Mr Modi hugging Mr Putin during the visit, saying it was "a devastating blow to peace."
Mr Modi's trip to Russia came as tensions flared in Europe, following a deadly Russian missile barrage across Ukraine that authorities said hit a children's hospital in the capital.
"This is not an age of war. Problems cannot be solved on the battlefield," Mr Modi told reporters in Vienna alongside Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.
Prime Minister Modi said India and Austria stand "ready to provide all possible support" to "rapidly restore peace and stability".
According to Mr Nehammer, neutral Austria was ready to serve as a "venue for dialogue" for "future peace summits", adding that his cabinet was "in constant contact with the EU".
The two leaders did not take any questions.
During his visit, Mr Modi also recalled that the Congress of Vienna in the 19th century had laid the foundations for peace and stability in this part of the world.
The state visit to Austria coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and is the first by an Indian head of government since Indira Gandhi in 1983.
