Blitz Bureau
INDIA’S Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asserted that Ukraine and Russia must find ways to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two nations and said India is ready to play an active role in every effort required to bring peace.
During his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on August 23, PM Modi said New Delhi has not been neutral or an indifferent bystander during the Russia-Ukraine conflict and was always on the side of peace.
“We (India) are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war. We have come from the land of Mahatma Gandhi who had given a message of peace to the entire world,” he said.
On talks with Putin
PM Modi also apprised President Zelenskyy of his conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand in September 2022 as well as in Moscow last month. “Some time back, when I met President Putin in Samarkand, I had told him that this was not the era of war. Last month when I went to Russia, I said in clear words that a solution to any problem is never found on the battlefield,” he said.
After a day full of meetings and other events, PM Modi posted on X, “My visit to Ukraine was historic. I came to this great nation with the aim of deepening IndiaUkraine friendship. I had productive talks with Zelenskyy. India firmly believes that peace must always prevail.”
PM Modi also invited President Zelenskyy to visit India and the Ukrainian leader accepted the invitation. This was the first visit by any Indian prime minister to Ukraine after the latter’s independence in 1991.
Peace meet proposal
Addressing the Indian media after the bilateral meeting, President Zelenskyy said India can be a key influence in the global diplomatic efforts to end the war. He proposed India among a handful of Global South countries for hosting the second Ukraine peace summit and conveyed his idea to PM Modi.
PM Modi expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian President for helping evacuate Indian nationals and students during the initial phase of the war. He assured that India is ready to provide any humanitarian assistance.
The two leaders reiterated their readiness for further cooperation in upholding principles of international law, including the UN Charter, such as respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states. Both leaders condemned all forms of terrorism and called for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to reflect contemporary global realities. Ukraine reiterated its support for India’s permanent membership in a reformed and expanded UN Security Council.
