NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and strongly reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, while also calling upon Russia and Ukraine to revert to dialogue and diplomacy to find a lasting solution to their differences.
Not for the first time, Modi conveyed support for any peace efforts and assured India’s commitment to continued humanitarian assistance for affected civilian population. The two leaders also discussed issues related to food and energy security.
Modi had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month and emphasised that dialogue and diplomacy is the only way forward for resolving the conflict. In September this year, Modi had publicly told Putin “this isn’t the era of war”. While the government has so far ruled out any direct mediation by India in the conflict, it believes countries that think similarly can, as foreign minister S Jaishankar said earlier, articulate their concerns and try to “shape the thinking of those more directly involved in a positive direction”.
Zelenskyy tweeted he wished Modi a successful G20 presidency and sought India’s support for his peace plan. “It was on this platform that I announced the peace formula and now I count on India’s participation in its implementation. I also thanked for humanitarian aid and support in the UN,” he said.
Zelenskyy had proposed a 10-point peace plan to end the war with Russia in his G20 Bali summit address last month. “The President of Ukraine conveyed his best wishes for India’s presidency of G20. The Prime Minister explained the main priorities of India’s G20 presidency, including giving a voice to the concerns of developing nations on issues like food and energy security,” said the government in a statement. “The two leaders discussed opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation,” it added.
Read More