NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday sought to nudge Ukraine and Russia to the talks table without wasting any time to find a solution to end their ongoing war, in his interaction with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
He added that he had come with a message of peace. This was the first visit of any Indian PM to Ukraine.
“We (India) are not neutral. From the very beginning, we have taken sides. And we have chosen the side of peace. We have come from the land of Buddha where there is no place for war,” Modi said in his opening remarks during the talks with Zelenskyy. “I have come with a message of peace, from India and the Global South. We are ready to take part in peace efforts. Our approach is people centric and we support sovereignty and territorial integrity,’’ Modi said.
He mentioned his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month where he reaffirmed that the resolution of the conflict should be through dialogue and diplomacy. “We come from the land of Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi and have always favoured peace. Both you and President Putin should sit across and find a solution.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar later said Modi reiterated the need for “practical engagement” between all stakeholders to develop an innovative solution that will help build broad acceptability and contribute towards peace and stability. The prime minister conveyed India’s willingness to contribute in all possible ways to facilitate an early return of peace to Ukraine, he said, adding it was a “very detailed, open and in many ways constructive discussion”.
Modi arrived in Kyiv by train and the meeting between the two leaders lasted three hours. Earlier, they paid homage at the Martyrilogist Exposition, which honours the memories of children who have lost their lives in a Russian missile attack the day Modi was in Moscow in July.
“Conflict is particularly devastating for young children. My heart goes out to the families of children who lost their lives, and I pray that they find the strength to endure their grief,” said Modi, who placed a toy in their memory.
Four pacts
India and Ukraine on Friday inked four agreements and resolved to enhance their cooperation in a range of areas including agriculture, defence, trade, pharma, green energy, and education.