NEW DELHI: A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready for talks with Ukraine, its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone and sought India’s help for restoring peace.
“I had a phone call with PM Modi and wished a successful G20 presidency. 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,’’ Zelenskyy later tweeted. The call came days after Modi spoke to Putin.
Modi reiterated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and said both Russia and Ukraine should revert to dialogue and diplomacy. “Modi also conveyed India’s support for any peace efforts and assured India’s commitment to continue providing humanitarian assistance to the affected civilian population,” the foreign office said.
While both sides want an exit from war, whether it will happen anytime soon is uncertain. For, Putin and Zelenskyy have preconditions that are not acceptable to each other. “The fact is that we do not have a clear picture of the political, military and economic situation on the ground,’’ said former Ambassador to Russia, P S Raghavan.
Ukraine foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said his government is aiming to have a peace summit by February-end, preferably at the UN with secretary general Antonio Guterres as possible mediator. As for US President Joe Biden, he said it was up to Zelenskyy on how he wanted the war to end.
Modi also spoke about the priorities of India’s G20 presidency, including giving a voice to the concerns of developing nations. He requested Ukraine to facilitate arrangements for the continued education of Indian students who had returned home earlier this year.