Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke to his British counterpart Boris Johnson about the situation in Ukraine following Russian invasion, according to statements provided by the governments.

Johnson’s office said that the two leaders agreed that Russia must adhere to the United Nations Charter. “The pair agreed that Ukraine’s integrity and territorial sovereignty must be respected,” the United Kingdom statement added.

However, the statement by the Indian prime minister’s office did not make any reference to Russia. It, instead, said Modi and Johnson had a “detailed discussion”. Modi, the statement added, reiterated “India’s consistent appeal” for a ceasefire and to engage in dialogue to end the war.

“He [Modi] emphasised India’s belief in respect for international law and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states, as the basis of the contemporary world order,” his office said.

The British readout of the call said Johnson told Modi that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions were “deeply disturbing and disastrous for the world”. It did not state Modi’s response to this point.

Johnson also said that both India and the United Kingdom needed to intensify efforts to promote peace and de-escalation in the region.

India has so far abstained on a series of United Nations votes condemning the Russia invasion of Ukraine. One such resolution was backed by 141 countries, but a Russian diplomat argued the critics represented less than half of the global population with India and China abstaining from voting.

Despite Western countries calling on India to condemn Putin, New Delhi is exploring options to buy Russian crude oil at a discount.

On February 25, Reuters had also reported that the Indian government was looking into ways to formulate a mechanism for rupee payments for trade with Russia. This was reportedly being done to to deal with the effect of international sanctions on Russia.

Reports said that the Reserve Bank of India is holding preliminary consultations on a rupee-rouble arrangement for trade with Russia. The arrangement will enable exports from Russia to continue.