Ukraine wants India to broker peace with Russia
Since Modi's visits to both Moscow and Kiev, Ukraine has increasingly looked to New Delhi to mediate talks with the Kremlin.
Politico reported on Wednesday, citing a high-ranking Ukrainian official, that Kiev considers India and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a potential key intermediary to broker a peace deal with Russia.
According to the report, since Modi's visits to both Moscow and Kiev, Ukraine has increasingly looked to New Delhi to mediate talks with the Kremlin.
This development follows a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Modi at the UN Summit of the Future in New York.
The two leaders have met several times recently, with discussions focused on resolving the ongoing conflict.
Met President @ZelenskyyUa in New York. We are committed to implementing the outcomes of my visit to Ukraine last month to strengthen bilateral relations. Reiterated India’s support for early resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and restoration of peace and stability. pic.twitter.com/YRGelX1Gl5
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 23, 2024
Despite India's neutral stance and refusal to sign the final communique at an earlier peace summit, Zelensky has suggested India as a host for a second peace summit.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri indicated that while discussions are ongoing, there is no detailed plan for a second summit yet.
"We are not right now at a stage where the second peace summit can be discussed in any detail," Misri said on Tuesday, adding there is "lot of work that remains to be done before that."
Meanwhile, India continues to maintain dialogue with both Russia and Ukraine, with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar stressing the importance of including both parties in any peace talks.
Dialogue with both parties is something that "not many countries or leaders" do, Jaishankar said on Tuesday, adding that "at some point, there has to be negotiations, and it obviously has to include both parties; it cannot be one-sided."
Read more: Modi visits Ukraine, India's first in 30 years
During the 79th UN General Assembly session in New York on Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for reforms in international institutions and highlighted the need for peace to ensure global success.
"Success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not on the battlefield. For global peace and development, reforms in global institutions are important. Reform is the key to relevance," Modi said at the Summit of the Future.
His remarks come amid escalating tensions across the globe, including the Israeli genocide in Gaza, the Israeli war on Lebanon, and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.