In what was the third meeting of the two leaders in a little over three months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the United States on the sidelines of the UN's Summit of the Future.
Modi, before wrapping up his three-day visit to the US, held bilateral talks with Zelenskyy, and expressed deep concern over the war in Ukraine. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that the meeting, which was requested by the Ukrainian side, shows the PM's commitment towards finding a way forward and contributing to the conflict's resolution in whatever way possible.
During his visit, Modi attended the Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware, held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden, addressed a massive Indian diaspora event in Long Island and the UN Summit of the Future.
Modi-Zelenskyy Meet In The US
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasises India's stance of moving towards a peace resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, adding that "it is natural for us to assume this role".
"I think the prime minister's meeting with President Zelenskyy also reflects his own, in a sense, commitment to this effort because he is deeply concerned by this conflict, not just in terms of the human toll that it is taking -- something that he has recognised -- but also in terms of the toll that it is taking on the world at large, especially on countries in the Global South," Misri told reporters.
The meeting shows Modi's commitment towards finding a way forward and contribution in any way to a resolution of this conflict.
During the talks, the Prime Minister recalled his visit to Kyiv last month, their discussions and the issues surrounding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
"Zelenskyy was very appreciative of India's attention to these issues and said that the prime minister's visit had been highly appreciated, and he thanked the prime minister for the efforts that he was making for peace and a pathway to finding a way out of this conflict," Misri said.
Both the sides appreciated a "positive momentum" on a lot of issues in the bilateral relationship, Misri said, adding that the two leaders agreed to remain in close touch.
The meeting between Modi and Zelenskyy, which lasted for about 45 minutes, also had discussions about arranging a meeting of the Inter-governmental Commission, headed at the levels of foreign ministers of the two nations.
During his address to the Summit of the Future as well, Modi had highlighted that the "success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not in the battlefield".
PM Modi told Zelenskyy at their meeting that he always tood for peace and about moving forward on the path of peace.
Misri, however, added that only time will tell whether the war will end and everyone's efforts are focused on finding a way to end the conflict.
Modi also told Zelenskyy that he has spoken to several world leaders about the issue and everyone agrees that a way has to be found to bring an end to the war, "our efforts are also ongoing for this," Misri noted.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi's statement, Misri said, "There is not path to peace, peace is the path."
Several discussions have been going on in multiple forums around the world, Misri said while noting that India has also been involved in some those processes where the idea has been to try and see if some consensus can be developed.
Prime Minister Modi has been in touch with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as US President Joe Biden since his visit to Kyiv last month.
Modi's Historic Visit To Ukraine
In what was the first-ever visit to Kyiv by an Indian Prime Minister, Modi met with Zelenskyy and held one-on-one talks as well as delegation-level talks.
Six weeks after he meet with Putin, Modi made a historic visit to Kyiv by becoming the first Indian PM to visit Ukraine since its Independence in 1991. During the talks, the PM had reiterated India's willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace.
Modi had sought Zelenskyy's assessment of both the situation on ground and diplomatic scenario. The two leaders spoke about military situation and conceivable pathways to peace as well.
Reaffirmning India's position, PM Modi had told Zelenskyy, "The world knows very well that during the war we played two roles... The first role was the humanitarian approach... I assure you that whatever the need may be from a humanitarian point of view, India will always stand with you and will be two steps ahead."
However, he had clarified that, "India was never neutral, we have always been on the side of peace."
Modi had assured Zelenskyy's of India's commitment, adding that respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is of utmost importance to India and the nation supports it.
"I want to assure you that India is ready to play an active role in every effort for peace. If I can personally contribute to this, I would like to do so. As a friend, I can assure you," the Prime Minister had said.
Notably, India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and has been calling for conflict resolution via dialogue and diplomacy.
Modi-Zelenskyy Meet On G7 Sidelines
Earlier in June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy.
The leaders had discussed ways to strengthen the two nations' bilateral relationship, while also exchanging view on the situation in Ukraine and the Summit on Peace which was hosted by Switzerland later that month.
At that time as well, PM Modi had told Zelenskyy that India encourages peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, adding that New Delhi would continue contributing to the path towards a peaceful solution.
India In Ukraine-Russia Conflict Resolution
Both Putin and Zelenskyy have called for India's involvement in the peace diplomacy in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
New Delhi has consistently made clear of its intentions of calling for peace via diplomatic dialogue between the two conflict-ridden nations. Foreign Secretary Misri also noted that PM Modi has been in touch with global leaders in connection with the issue.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had also visited Russia earlier this month. Misri said, "So there are several conversations that are going on. The attempt in all of these is to try and move towards some specifics. I don't say that the specifics are available today, but the attempt is to do precisely that."
In reference to the Pece Summit in Switzerland -- in June -- Misri said that there is a lot that has to be worked out before a second peace summit can be discussed in detail.
