Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India immediately after their meeting in Kyiv are “most improper, disrespectful and rude," former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said in an interview.

Sibal said: “Of course, he’s sending a message.”

In a 27-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Sibal, a former ambassador to Russia and France, was asked if this sort of behaviour and comments by Zelensky should have been anticipated by Modi’s key advisors such as foreign minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. He said that “they would have anticipated this” but insisted that it was still right to go ahead with the Ukraine visit because it “completed the circle” and would also have “shown up” President Zelensky.

Watch the full interview here:

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