Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that India can be a key influence in the global diplomatic efforts to end the war between his country and Russia. Mr Zeleskyy’s comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his first trip to Ukraine, invited him to visit India during their bilateral talks in Kyiv yesterday.

The Ukrainian president addressed the Indian media after the bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi. During the bilateral talks, Mr. Modi told Mr. Zelenskyy that both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to find ways to end the ongoing war and that India had been on the side of peace since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022. Ukrainian President proposed India among a handful of Global South countries for hosting the second Ukraine peace summit and conveyed his idea to Mr. Modi.

The inaugural peace summit was held at a resort near Lucerne in Switzerland in June and was attended by more than 90 countries and global institutions with a sole focus on bringing peace to Ukraine. New Delhi asserted that it will remain engaged with all stakeholders to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. Mr. Modi’s nearly nine-hour visit to Ukraine came six weeks after he held summit talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prime Minister Modi also asserted India’s strong commitment towards respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. Mr Zelenskyy said India supports Ukraine’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity and it is critical because everyone in the world must equally respect the UN Charter.