The US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel has stated that the United States appreciates India's involvement in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine as well as its endeavours to facilitate peace between the two nations. 

The United States has urged India to leverage its longstanding relationship with Russia to encourage President Vladimir Putin to end the ongoing war in Ukraine and seek a lasting peace. Mathew Miller, spokesperson for the State Department, emphasised this point in a statement on Monday. He highlighted the unique position India holds due to its historical ties with Russia and suggested that India could play a crucial role in mediating the conflict.

Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announced on Wednesday that Norway will initiate the process of donating six F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine this year. The decision aims to bolster Ukraine’s air defence capabilities amidst its ongoing conflict with Russia.

The acknowledgment came during their talks at the Kremlin, as reported by the official TASS news agency.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is set to convene regarding Russia's recent bombing of a children's hospital in Ukraine, an act condemned by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as "particularly shocking." Ukraine's largest children's health facility was struck amidst a barrage of approximately 40 Russian missiles across the country on Monday.

With Iran on the brink of electing its new president, its nuclear intentions have been the subject of keen scrutiny, controversies, and much speculation.

Zelensky made this declaration during a press conference in Kyiv alongside Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, citing the significance of global support for Ukraine's proposed peace plan.

On Sunday, India was among the nations that chose not to sign a joint communique at the peace summit for Ukraine hosted by Switzerland. Despite this, India emphasised the need for "sincere and practical engagement" between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Italy's Apulia region, reflecting India's commitment to a human-centric approach to resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Kyiv seeks NATO membership and demands full Russian troop withdrawal, making acceptance of such terms unlikely.

During his one-day visit, Modi will join a summit session titled "Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean," hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. Pope Francis is also set to attend the session and hold bilateral talks with Modi.

Two Indian citizens who were enlisted by the Russian Army have been killed recently in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, bringing the total number of such fatalities to four.