Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin named India, China and Brazil as "intermediaries" for peace talks with Ukraine, Italy has made a similar request.
During her meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has also called on New Delhi to try and resolve the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Pledging unwavering support for Ukraine, Meloni discussed plans to end the war with Russia and the reconstruction efforts for Kyiv.
“It is obvious that if the rules of international law are broken we will get a multiplication of chaos and crisis, but it is also obvious that with the multiplication of crisis, we will have a natural fragmentation of the geo-economic space, that is, in the long run, economic globalisation and questioning of the rules of international law will not walk together. This is what I also said to my Chinese counterparts, we must choose, because the two things do not go together, it is also the reason why I think that in the end nations, like China and India, can play a role and must play a role in resolving the conflict in Ukraine,” the Italian PM was quoted as saying.
Meloni's call for India comes days after the Russian president turned to his fellow BRICS members to come forwards as a "helping hand" to resolve the conflict.
"China, Brazil, India... I am in contact with my partners and I have no doubt that the leaders of these countries, and we have the relations of trust and confidence with one another, will be really interested in providing a helping hand," stated Putin.
All Eyes On India To Mediate
As the Russia-Ukraine war nears three years of fighting, pressure has increased on India to mediate the conflict and bring a possible end to the war. Noting India's close ties with Russia, with US at the forefront, many countries have now started to turn towards New Delhi to play an important role in peacemaking.
The United States has made several statements calling on India to mediate in the conflict and call on Moscow to urge restraint. The call for Indian intervention increased after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia.
After his visit to Russia, Modi was under heavy fire from Ukraine's allies and Zelesnkyy himself, who called the meeting with Putin "a huge disappointment".
Following this, Modi scheduled a visit to Ukraine, making him the first Indian leader to visit Kyiv since its independence in 1991. During his visit, India also reportedly offered to host the next round fo Ukraine peace talks, for which Zelenskyy has extended an invite to Russia as well.
Furthermore, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is expected to visit Moscow as India tries to be a peace broker. With this, all eyes remain on New Delhi to mediate and hopefully bring an end to the conflict.
What Is India's Stance On The War?
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have remained high since the USSR days and reached a new threshold after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
The Russo-Ukraine war escalated in 2022 following Russia's invasion of Kyiv and since then, the former Soviet nations have remained at war.
Despite abstaining from key votes in the United Nations, Indiahas called for the cessation of all hostilities on both sides.
"India’s position on the Ukraine conflict has been steadfast and consistent. We have expressed deep concern at the worsening situation and called for immediate cessation of violence and end to all hostilities," says External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
Since the start of the war, New Delhi has called for a ceasefire and extended humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and its neighbouring countries.
Furthermore, during the G20 Summit 2023, all member countries signed and adopted the New Delhi Declaration which called for peace in Ukraine.
New Delhi's statement on the Ukraine war was accepted by all 21 members of the G20 group. Asserting that "today's era must not be of war", the New Delhi G20 Summit Leaders' Declaration under India's presidency called on all States to uphold international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The Indian declaration further called for initiatives towards "comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine" and called against the use of any nuclear weapons.
