India to boost cooperation with EU to end war in Ukraine

India plans to deepen relations with the EU and will contribute to efforts to end the war against Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed a set of issues, including Ukraine's war, Bloomberg reports.

«Europe and its allies are trying to isolate and punish russia for its aggression in Ukraine and want India pivot away from moscow as the war continues for the second year,» the statement says.

India will assist efforts to end the war, Modi told reporters in a joint press briefing with Scholz.

The two sides also agreed to deepen defense cooperation. There were discussions on joint production of defense equipment, India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said at a separate briefing.

German defense manufacturing giant Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is one of two international contenders to build six conventional diesel-electric submarines in India at an estimated cost of $5 billion.

While India's Prime Minister Modi said his state hopes to work more closely with Germany to "realize the untapped potential in defense cooperation," Kwatra confirmed that the two leaders also discussed joint design and manufacturing of submarines.

Scholz noted India buys large volumes of discounted russian oil and depends on russia's military equipment.

The leaders of the two countries also discussed the shortage of food and fertilizers in the world related to the war against Ukraine.