This couple embraced draping Russia, Ukraine flags. Shashi Tharoor shares 2019 photo

Russia-Ukraine crisis: The photo was shared by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Twitter. (Shashi Tharoor/Twitter)

A striking photograph of a couple embracing draped in the Russian and Ukrainian flags paints a picture of hope as a violent war rages between the two countries. The photo was shared by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Twitter.

"Poignant: A man draped in the Ukrainian flag embraces a woman wearing the Russian flag. Let us hope love, peace and co-existence triumph over war and conflict," Tharoor captioned the photo.

While the picture resonated with thousands, it is not a recent photo. The picture was clicked in 2019 when Juliana Kuznetsova and her fiancé wrapped the Ukrainian and Russian flags and stood with their foreheads together. They were at a concert in Poland, according to a Washington Post report.

Poignant: A man draped in the Ukrainian flag embraces a woman wearing the Russian flag. Let us hope love, peace & co-existence triumph over war & conflict. pic.twitter.com/WTwSOBgIFK

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 25, 2022

The photo is a symbol of love amid violence – like several other pictures over the years that have become a sign of hope amid wars. A photograph of a woman protesting in front of bayonet-wielding armed soldiers with a chrysanthemum flower or the image of a soldier passing a flower through the Berlin war before it was taken down are popular images of hope amid despair.

Russia has declared a war on Ukraine and the invasion entered the second day today. Explosions and gunfire have been reported across the country and Russia claimed it had destroyed 83 land-based Ukrainian targets. Ukraine has said 137 people have died in the violence since Thursday.

US President Joe Biden has imposed several sanctions on Russia asking his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to end the violence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appealed to Putin on Thursday for an "immediate cessation of violence". The conversation between the two leaders came hours after Ukraine's appeal to India for intervention.