India’s new efforts to facilitate the end Russian-Ukrainian warwithout direct mediation, saw PM Narendra Modi hold 3rd meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the new month and support commitment to efforts for lasting peace, while also underlining the need to participate in Russia in any such sport.
Zelenskyy, who called for a meeting on the sidelines of the UN summit, thanked Modi for his efforts to find a way out of the conflict and support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as the two leaders discussed “the way forward to achieve the path. to peace”.
Modi reiterated India’s “clear, consistent and constructive” approach to resolving conflicts peacefully through diplomacy and dialogue as well as the involvement of all stakeholders, according to India’s reading. Modi asked Zelenskyy at the meeting in Kyiv to enter into a dialogue with Russia to end the conflict.
“He said that India remains open to providing all support in a way to facilitate a lasting and peaceful resolution of the conflict,” the Indian government said, adding that the leaders recalled Modi’s recent visit to Ukraine and expressed satisfaction over the ongoing consolidation of bilateral relations. . Zelenskyy was quoted in an interview on Monday as saying that the war is closer than people realize.
Giving details of the meeting, foreign secretary Vikram Misri said that while there must be agreement that peace is the way forward, ongoing discussions between warring leaders also focus on specifics. “You have different processes going on. The PM visited Kiev. He then interacted with President Putin, President Biden…so, there are some conversations going on. The effort in all of this is to try and get to some specifics. I’m not saying specifics it is available now, but the effort must be done in a timely manner,” said the official, adding that Modi told Zelenskyy that the consensus in the discussions with world leaders was the need to find a way to achieve a ceasefire, and that efforts continue in that direction.
According to Zelenskyy’s office, special attention is given to strengthening interaction on international platforms, especially in the UN and G20, as well as implementing the 10-point Peace Formula and preparing the second Peace Summit. However, Misri said that later it is not at the stage of the second summit can be discussed in detail.
India does not support a peace formula that calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine and also punishment for war crimes. While Zelenskyy suggested to Modi at the meeting in Kyiv that India could host the second peace summit, he also failed to realize that only those who signed the declaration of the first peace summit could host it. India participated in the first peace summit in Switzerland, but did not sign the joint communiqué as Russia was not invited to the peace initiative. India’s nuanced position has seen it actively seeking peace but not mediating between Russia and Ukraine, or proposing its own peace plan.
Modi’s meeting with Zelenskyy followed another meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas where he supported a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. Misri said the meeting with Zelenskyy reflected Modi’s commitment to peace. “They are also very concerned about the victims of this conflict in the countries of the Global South. This shows their commitment to find a way forward and contribute in any way to the resolution of this conflict,” he said.
According to Ukraine, Zelenskyy and Modi discussed the implementation of cooperation in the agreed areas during Modi’s visit to Kyiv. “These include improving trade and economic ties, defense cooperation, India’s involvement in post-war reconstruction, and collaboration in education, science, and culture,” he said. Modi had met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy in June, before visiting Kyiv last month.
