New Delhi: Noting that India has a historic relationship with Moscow which everyone understands and respects, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened several times with the Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

Answering queries during a press conference, Johnson said India had been very strong in its language about what happened in Bucha in Ukraine.

"I think you have to recognise that Indians have and actually PM Modi, in particular, have come out...very strong in their language about what happened in Bucha. And talking to PM Modi today, it's clear that he has already intervened several times, and I am sure this is no secret from our Indian friends...he has intervened several times with Vladimir Putin to ask him...where he thinks this is going. And what India wants is peace and they want Russia out and I totally agree with that," Boris Johnson said.

He was asked if India will pressurise Moscow to leave the war.

"New Delhi has a historic relationship with Moscow which everyone understands and respects," he added.

He indicated there may not be a swift end to the conflict in Ukraine and that Russia winning it is a "realistic possibility".

"Yes...look, I think the sad thing is that that is a realistic possibility. Putin has a huge army...the only option he has now is to continue to use his grinding approach led by artillery," he said.

Boris Johnson was answering a query about the assessment by Western intelligence officials that the Ukraine war could go on till the end of next year and Russia could win.

The UK PM also said that Putin had made a "catastrophic blunder".

Johnson announced that the UK will reopen their embassy in the Ukraine capital Kyiv next week.

"The success of Ukraine President Zelenskyy and their people in resisting the Russian forces in Kyiv helps me to make this decision and I can announce that we will surely reopen the embassy in Kyiv next week. We the United Kingdom will not watch passively as Putin carries onslaught in Ukraine," he said.

Earlier in the day, the UK Prime Minister held wide-ranging and productive discussions with PM Modi. The two leaders took stock of the ground covered in the India-UK friendship and also discussed new areas of cooperation.